Lin's Love
by MelissaRM
Summary: SPR disbanded, leaving Mai alone to fend for herself. When SPR reforms without Mai and has a lethal case at Mai's school, why is it only Lin seems to notice that Mai has changed? Can he save her? "SPR doesn't fight monsters, so this job is way over your heads. Go home." LinXMai Will be bumped up to 'M' in later chapters.
1. The Chi Monk Temple

_**SPR disbanded, leaving Mai alone to fend for herself. When SPR reforms without Mai and has a lethal case at Mai's school, why is it only Lin seems to notice that Mai has changed? Can he save her? "SPR doesn't fight monsters, so this job is way over your heads. Go home." LinXMai**_

 **The Chi Monk Temple**

The second Mai walked onto the temple grounds, people were trying to talk to her. Everyone wanted to hear of her latest travels. As most of them hadn't left the temple sense they found their home there, they lived through her. Even though her stories these days revolved around going to school, they were still captivated by them. None of those who asked, though, would ever be willing to go travel for themselves or even journey away of the temple to go to school.

Here, they didn't have to hide. They were not freaks no matter what sort of ability they had. The monks, most of which had no supernatural power, didn't look at them differently. Unless actually warranted, they didn't even respond to a show of power with fear. Here, they were understood and free to be themselves.

"I skipped school today again. I haven't been there all week, to be honest." Mai stated, sitting down with a sizeable crowd around her. "The spirits there have been staying out of my dreams sense I summoned Father Rayden. He was a holy father in his past life, but he never passed on. He's one of those I summon to help calm spirits that will respond to Christianity."

"Where did you go then, Taniyama Sensei?" A woman wearing a Middle-Eastern style dress and pants asked. Mai was called a teacher because, here, she was. She was a mentor, guardian, and most importantly a strong psychic. She's seen it all over the years, especially now that she travels. She helps all those she can… like no one had ever helped her.

"I went to a cave on the top of a high mountain in China. I was drawn there and found a young ice-dragon. She was giving birth for the same time. I learned later that her mate had been the one to… I guess he kinda summoned me." Mai realized that herself just then. Several of them giggled that Mai, who usually did the summoning, had been summoned. "Hmm. Well, I already knew that dragons were stronger telepaths than humans ever will be. Anyway, I helped with the birth. As I might have said at some point, some dragons don't lay eggs. This one didn't."

"How big was the baby, Taniyama Sensei?" Ironically, it was a pregnant woman to ask that.

"Well, the mother was the size of a house." Mai stated first. "I guess the baby was about the size of… the bush over there." Mai pointed to a lush green bush that was about the size of a small car. She wasn't sure how many of them would still get the comparison after being here for so long, though, so she didn't make that comparison. "Honestly, my main task was to get the mother to stay calm. It was her first birth, so the poor thing thought that she was dying. To be honest, I'm pretty sure she was a bit too young to be having children. Normally, their instincts walk them through everything."

Mai went to describe the baby dragon that she helped bring into the world, how its scales were still as soft as film rather than the nails on their fingers. She described the sounds the baby made as the sound of a scared sheep, and the mother's sounds as a low solid growl that came off as a hum.

"Where did you sleep that night, Taniyama Sensei?" Someone asked eventually. "In a tree again? Did you sleep with the baby dragon?"

"Haven't slept yet. By the time I realized that I hadn't slept, it was already nearing breakfast time." Mai shrugged. "So, for once, I think I'll actually fall asleep at a decent hour. Hopefully."

Mai was hopeful. She missed sleep. She missed the time before SPR when the only time she didn't get a full night's sleep was when she was staying up late for whatever reason. Now, she's an insomniac that literally forgets to go to sleep unless she wants to have a vision. At random moments, though, the exhaustion will catch up to her. It wasn't exactly narcolepsy but… it's inconvenient sometimes to have to excuse herself and take a nap.

The monks eventually came out and summoned everyone for dinner. Unlike expected of such a large feeding time, the food was as good as a fancy restaurant. Several of the monks had families who lived at the temple as well, so the kitchen was full of caring women who make everything with love.

Love

People caring about her

Those were two very dangerous things. Mai's parents had loved her and she'd loved them, but they both ended up dying and leaving her behind. She'd loved SPR dearly and thought they felt the same… but they didn't seem to even look back once SPR disbanded three years before. Several of her friends from school, those who would usually care about a bruise or Mai becoming homeless and depressed, didn't even bat and eye.

The orphanage was what really made Mai realize how alone she was. When they saw her powers and wanted to beat her, they knew exactly how to drug her into submission. Sedatives blocked psychic capabilities… blocked Mai's ability to summon a barrier or telepathically scream for help.

Mai's life was a living hell but the world moved on, causing Mai to realize just how insignificant her life really was. She could die and the world would continue turning on it's axis. No one cared. No one would miss her. No one would NOTICIE she was gone.

"Mai, dear?" An elderly woman called as she sat down. "Could you, um…" She wrung her hands together.

Mai grabbed the woman's hands, instantly starting to heal the veins and promote cell growth. The woman melted completely and nearly fell asleep as Mai healed her diabetes-ridden hands. She thanked Mai about ten times and then left quickly, her mind racing with things she wanted to do before her hands became bad again in a few months. She had a long list of projects that she'd been putting off because her hands had hurt her too much to do.

Mai yawned softly, standing up and putting her dishes onto the table full of dirty dishes. She'd once tried to offer several times to help clean. However, because of how much she did to help at the temple already, the women of the kitchen always refused to let her lift a finger unless she was showing them how to make a new recipe she'd picked up while traveling.

"You should go to school tomorrow." Mai glanced behind her and found a little girl being led by a young monk, one with hollow eye sockets. "Just be ready when you hear the knocking."

Mai had heard of this psychic. She had ESP. Honestly, she was a very young fortune teller. Mai decided to trust her words. "Alright." She agreed, having planned on going to school the next day anyway.

The little girl frowned, looking to her right towards the monk though she was actually speaking to the young man's groin. "Did I do it again? I made sense, right? What did I say?" Her voice was of a kid rather than the monotone it had been before.

 _"This is normal for her, Master Taniyama."_ The monk's voice was suddenly in her head, sort of whispering at the edges of her mental barrier. _"She never remembers what she's said. She has no memory problems otherwise."_

Mai nodded to show that she'd heard.

The monk knelt down to be level with the little girl. "You told her to go to school tomorrow, but to be careful of knocking. Her school has been haunted by several spirits lately."

"B-But what if she goes to school and she comes back _hurt_?" She whined back, saying the last word as if it was the worst thing in the world.

"Well, now that I know what to be careful for, I'll keep my guard up." Mai smirked. She walked away after seeing the girl smile and then continue on her way with the monk. She thought back to the girl's warning. Knocking. That was a sound several people have reported hearing before physical paranormal activity.

She found herself worrying about the other students and hoping that it was only her to be attacked. She could defend herself and, if not, then she was prepared to deal with the consequences. The other students, however, were not. They were innocent.

Mai went to bed around 9pm, about the time most of the younger people went to sleep. She woke up, however, at midnight. She trained, meditated in a cleansing chamber, and went back to bed but even with that could sleep for more than an hour. She sighed, frustrated. Even at a temple full of people who cared about her, people who would notice her missing and miss her if anything happened… she couldn't relax enough to get any real sleep.

 _Hay,_

 _I'm sorry if anyone wanted to see me off or anything, but my insomnia has decided that it doesn't want me to sleep tonight. I'm going to school today, so I don't know when I'll visit again._

 _Sorry to eat and run_

 _Mai Taniyama_

Mai always left a note when she left. She knew by the fact that it was always gone when she got back that someone had read it. She never could stay for long, though. The fear of someday losing them like she did SPR always consumed her once she started to get used to living with them. Though she knew she'd deal with it and adapt just like she had when SPR left her… she wasn't entirely sure if she'd be the same person after feeling that pain again.

 **Good first chapter, bad? Review! This is my first attempt to do LinXMai myself but I've read it a few times and hope I can make something you'll love, too.**


	2. Vision turned dangerous

**And now in comes the rest of the SPR team. Enjoy!**

 **Vision turned dangerous**

Lin sighed as he leaned back in his office chair. Everything was completed, every piece of equipment inventoried, the latest case filed, and expense reports finished. It was hard to believe that it'd only been three days sense they stood on Japanese land for the first time in three long years. Finally, his mind was brought back to their secretary, the only member of the team who hadn't been called back to her prior position.

Lin let out a deep breath, closing his eyes and connecting his mind's eye to that of his shiki. He'd send one to look for Mai. Now that they were so close to her, he could safely send out a shiki to assess her condition. His old worries had never left, honestly. The second he learned that she was actually an orphan living alone, he constantly worried about her health and happiness. When he and Naru left for England, though, the worry turned into a fear that sometimes made it hard to sleep at night.

He'd heard Naru's devastating emotional blow at the airport, how the cold bastard broke the girl's heart once she admitted the feelings everyone knew she had for him. What if that was enough of a heartbreak to change her? What if she took care of herself less than she was at the time? What if she was UNABLE to take care of herself because their return to England took away her only income?

Lin forced himself to blank his mind as his Shiki found her, telling all his worries to shut the hell up.

 _Mai walked down a hall, her hand gliding down the railing beside her. She stopped in front of the spirit of a heavily bandaged man, a purple-tinted spirit. The sound of knocking sounded around her as the spirit glared at her as if she was the reason for all of his pain. All of those who had been also walking down the hall heard the sound and bolted away, abandoning Mai to her fate._

 _The spirit paused slightly, surprised that she was abandoned so quickly. He then paused even longer as Mai lifted her uniform's shirt and undershirt to show deep scars that littered her torso. They looked like she had been tortured. "People have hurt me, too." She said softly, a little sadly. "But we are not the ones responsible for your pain. It has been a very long time sense you've been hurt. The people who hurt you are already dead." She offed a hand, unafraid. "Let me help you. You don't need to be in pain anymore."_

 _The man's purple aura faded slightly as he looked from her hand to her face a few times. When he took her hand and smiled before fading into nothing, the knocking got louder. Windows started to open and slam shut. The entire hall filled with spirits like the man, spirits that closed in on Mai, glaring as if they wanted just the look to kill her. They hit a barrier and started to pound at it, their anger increasing and their bodies shifting into something unhuman. She actually showed fear around then, now straining herself to keep up the barrier._

Lin disconnected from the vision, forcing himself to remember that he was a master and the shiki his minion, not one and the same. He commanded his shiki to defend Mai, but the second he did, several spirits seemed to sense his shiki and attack them both somehow. Lin suddenly lost the ability to breathe. When he opened his eyes, he saw several of the spirits in his office, one standing above him as he tumbled out of his chair.

Just as spots started to appear in Lin's vision, he heard Monk's chant. Everything suddenly disappeared and his office was back to normal, literally like flipping a switch rather than the spirits fading away. Naru helped him sit up, his usually-calm eyes showing a fading panic.

"Ayako was just a block away." John stated as he walked in, pocketing his phone. "She should be here soon. Naru, did it look like something from a case you did while in England or just without me? Those spirits didn't look familiar."

"We didn't take any cases in England." Naru stated, voice irritated though for him it was more like half-panic. "Besides, I never leave a case unfinished. Never. I have no idea where they came from, how they got in here, or why." He breathed out a frustrated breath, running a hand through his hair as he put a jacket under his assistant's sleeping head. Lin was breathing evenly and didn't look pained, which did improve the younger man's mood a bit. "Masako. Do you sense anything?"

Masako shook her head. "Not anymore. But I saw a uniform on one of them. They were from the war. Perhaps they attacked Lin because he was Chinese." Masako offered. She wavered slightly, causing John to walk over and offer his body as support for her. She put a sleeve over her mouth as she tried to regain her exposure. "His Shiki…"

Naru tried his hardest to stay composed. Aside maybe that time when they first met Mai, Naru had never once seen Lin inured. Now the man was on the ground, having nearly been murdered right under their noses by spirits that they knew nothing about. "What about them?" It came out as more of a snarl.

"One has returned. It's hurt. Badly. The others have split the injuries between them for some reason, so all of his shiki are weaker." Masako reported. "And they're trying to wake him. They want a punishment for disobeying his orders."

"Shiki obey their masters. It's just the way things are. I guess it makes sense that they seek a punishment for not complying." Naru stated. He moved away from Lin when Ayako rushed in to look him over. "Maybe the order was to protect him and they don't understand the difference between 'failure' and 'disobedience'."

Quickly, Lin was taken to the hospital just to be safe. The story was simple. They had no idea what happened to him. He just collapsed. He stayed asleep and at the hospital for observation. Despite having been strangled, there were no bruises on the man even hours later. The ghost-hunters knew it was more than the Chinese man merely not bruising easily, though they weren't sure what it meant that the spirit attacked without leaving any physical harm aside for, possibly, the man's death if they hadn't saved him in time.

No more than 12 hours after Lin had been attacked, a man named Yamato Yagami came in. He was the principal of a school in Kyoto which was being haunted by… spirits that perfectly fit the description of the ones who had attacked Lin.

"What do these spirits do?" Naru asked professionally, as if he wasn't asking about the spirits that had assault his assistant less than a day before with no known provocation. "Are they violent?"

"Sometimes, yes. But, before they got physical, there was always the sound of knocking, like something was pounding at the walls. That usually gave people enough time to get out of the area. It's always been Chinese people being attacked, though. And it's never been so… direct. They've always been pushing over shelves, breaking windows…" He sighed, shaking his head.

"It's escalated." Naru stated.

The man sighed, nodding. "Maybe it's because she protected herself. She's a psychic, so she can do that." He stated. "It was caught on camera, if you'd like to see. I'm afraid that I'll have to insist the footage stay in my possession, though."

"Her abilities were caught by the camera?"

"Yes. She created a barrier around herself and they couldn't get through for a while. They got angrier and the knocking sounds were heard by the entire school. I have no choice but to close the school until this issue is resolved." The man stated. "The psychic who was attacked, she'll be helping you with the case. She does this sort of thing often, so I hope you can get along."

"If she was attacked once then she may be again. Are you sure you're alright with one of your students being in danger?"

"No. Not at all." The man said bluntly. Then he sighed, slumping a little. "But I have no control over the girl. Honestly, after her last school ended up throwing her into that abusive orphanage, no one has been able to control her. She'll get herself killed one of these days, I'm sure." He sighed, glancing out the window.

"If she's so uncontrollable, she'll likely be more of a hindrance than a help."

"No. She's been the only one who could control the spirits." The man said. "Things had been getting better, lately. You can see in the footage her getting one of the spirits to pass on after showing him that she knew what it was like to be hurt. But then more showed up and overpowered her. I know that, if it was anyone else, the person wouldn't have survived."

Naru nodded, though he wasn't pleased with getting a helper. "A member of my team is a nurse. Tell this girl that she's to follow orders or we'll take care of things without her. Also, my team will require lodgings, a room to use as our headquarters, and access to every room in the school."

The man took notes of Naru's demands and then left, a phone in his hand. The date had already been set to head out the next day. It was then that Naru realized that he had forgotten something. He refused to make himself look like an idiot and call the man, though, so he just put up with the rest of the day without knowing the name of the stupid teenager that would be helping them.

"You were her friend. Why aren't you worried about her? Why is it I'm the only one worried about her?"

Ayako glanced over to the Chinese man, having not noticed that he'd woken up. She walked over, shooing away the doctor who wanted to look him over. "Who, Lin?"

"Mai."

Ayako felt like she'd been slapped across the face. Mai. She hadn't even thought about the girl until Naru called her back for her sort-of job with SPR. Everyone aside form Mai had been called back to their prior positions. They'd all assumed that the kid was enjoying a normal life and hadn't wanted to go back to being chased by evil spirits.

Lin sighed, sitting up. "Forget I said anything." He stated. "No, I want to leave. I'm fine now. Thank you for your time." Lin told the doctor politely as he checked himself out from the hospital.

 **So, what do you think? I already decided that this would be LinXMai. Suggestions?**


	3. SPR is on the case

**Sorry about the long break, guys. Summer time isn't much of a vacation at all because I staff so many Anime Conventions and work full-time. However, one school starts up, I'll be back to being bored in class and writing down story ideas. Look forward to it. Until then, here ya go!**

 **SPR is on the case**

Mai sighed as she saw a familiar black van. Though she knew logically that several people used vans of that color, she knew in her heart that the organization the old principal called in a last attempt to save his school was SPR. She'd peeked in on them a couple days ago. The entre team was there and seemed to be just fine without her. As if to prove that her heart was right, Ayako's car drove up and parked right beside the van, half of the team filing out and getting to work unloading the equipment.

"The girl is supposed to meet us out here." Naru bit out irritably looking around. "What is it with Japanese teenagers and always being late?"

"Actually, I was just waiting for you to gripe about my being late." Mai smirked as she walked up. "Now things really are like old times." She leaned against the hood of the van, arms crossed and the smirk still on her face. "Now that's not very nice, Naru. I see two years in England didn't turn you into a proper Englishman."

"Oh God, she's turned into a Naru!" Yasu gasped out dramatically. "Mai-chan, turn back into Mai-chan. You're scaring us!"

Mai held up a finger, cleared her throat, and gained a bored/annoyed expression. "I do not pay you all to stand around and talk. Get to work or go home. This is not a vacation."

"Ah, John, John, she's been possessed!"

Naru glared. "Mai, we're here to do a job. Go home."

Lin walked right up to her, the first to actually approach her. "Are you sure you're alright to be here?" Then he stiffened slightly, grabbing onto her and pulling her closer to him as he saw the windows. The spirits were in the windows, a few of them to each one, just watching them.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Mai answered.

"Mai, I saw you. I sent a shiki to find you and saw you get attacked."

"What?!" She squeaked out, turning to actually look at him. "Have you lost your mind!? Lin, you're Chinese. These guys are dead because they got hurt fighting your country! What if they followed the connection and got to you? Who is gonna be Naru's guardian when you get laid up in the hospital? They're getting powered by a hell-portal, Lin!"

"How would you know that, Mai?" Naru questioned, ignoring the spirits considering the rest of the team had taken positions around them and readied themselves for an attack. "What exactly is this portal and how do you know the spirits are being powered by it?"

"Kinda obvious when they get more powerful as they get closer to it." Mai muttered. "And, last time I checked, SPR didn't handle monsters. The thing keeping that portal open sure as hell ain't something John can bless with a bible." She glanced in the blond's direction. "No offense, John, but demons beat priests every time."

"No offense taken." John stated. He relaxed slightly as the spirits disappeared from the windows. "But if it's really so evil, then I don't want you near it, either. Evil spreads to even the purist spirits."

"Luckily, that decision isn't up to you." Mai grinned happily. She pat him on the shoulder as she passed him, having slipped out of Lin's grasp like she was covered in butter. "Now let's get the base set up. You'll be in the teacher's lounge for the base, the attic for sleeping unless you want to stay at a hotel."

"Uh, Mai, don't you live nearby?" John asked. "I don't think it's a good idea for Masako to stay here for longer than she needs."

"I don't live anywhere, really. I have a room at the Chi Temple, though." Mai stated, thinking about it. "Just tell me if you want me to take you there, alright Masako?"

"You shouldn't offer a room that isn't really yours, Mai." Masako scolded lightly. "And besides, if I steal your room, where will you sleep?"

"Huh? I'm staying here. A ghost hunter playing around a hell portal? I'd be insane to let you guys out of my sight. I'm not entirely sure how well the guys on the other side will take to having one of God's soldiers near a doorway to their home."

"Just leave my protection to the lord, Mai." John said.

Mai looked like she was about to say something before she stopped herself. "Let's not get into a debate on religion." She stated.

"You were the girl that was attacked." Naru stated. "How long have your powers been enough to produce a physical barrier?"

"Hmm… ten days?" She mused, thinking about it. "Yeah, that sounds right. About ten days after your left. I dunno. Google it. I made my first barrier when my apartment burned down. My apartment was on the 8th floor, remember?" She glanced around, surprised as they stared at her with wide eyes. "What?" She sort of squeaked. "If you didn't want to know, you should have said so."

"There's a thing called a fire escape." Naru muttered. "Idiot."

"Well, the place wasn't exactly up to par on fire safety." Mai chuckled. "No fire escapes, sprinklers, and back mold makes a solid wall burn like paper. The fire chief said that it was a miracle the floors didn't cave in on a good day, especially with 8 levels to hold up." She shrugged casually.

Ayako, who had been walking with a shelving unit, ended up tripping over her own feet. She let out a small shriek but then a gasp as she didn't hit the ground. Everyone snapped at Naru, thinking it was him using his powers.

"Do you really think I'm going to risk a trip to the hospital just to save you from a small bruise?" Naru retorted with a roll of his eyes. Not to mention, there was no way his powers would be that fast to react. "It seems that there are friendly spirits here after all."

"There are, but that wasn't what caught Ayako." Masako stated. "I sense no spirits here aside from Lin's shiki, and even they are incredibly hard to sense because they're not active."

"Well, whatever it is, can someone make it put me down." Ayako squirmed about a foot in the air, bending at the knees so her skirt wasn't giving anyone behind her a show.

Masako put a sleeve in front of her mouth. "Mai, you shouldn't abuse your powers like that. If nothing else, what if a camera sees? I assure you, fame due to powers that not everyone believes exist isn't the constant vacation everyone thinks it is."

"Which is why I'm keeping her low enough to not be seen by the camera. She happens to be in a visual blind spot." Mai shrugged. Ayako was set on her feet, though.

"But you were caught on camera when you were attacked." Naru stated.

"Huh? Which time?" Mai chirped.

"How many times have there been?" Naru questioned.

"I dunno." Mai shrugged as if it was no big deal that it'd happened enough to not be counted anymore. "Every time I help one pass on, they get angry. The majority of them only see me making one of their own disappear. Because I'm Japanese, they see me as a traitor."

"How do you get them to pass on?" Monk asked. "One of the chants you learned?"

"The principal stated that you showed them that you knew what it was like to be hurt. What did he mean by that?" Naru questioned. "How can you prove to an angry ghost that something happened in the past?"

"Scars are rather convincing evidence." Lin muttered.

"Mai, why didn't you get help?" John asked desperately, as if telling her this now would somehow make the past disappear.

"Maybe because the people that promised that they would always be there to help me weren't an option." Mai shrugged with a bit of a bite to her voice. "Lin, I do hope you're aware that you'll be a target of interest. Unlike you, these spirits have a solid excuse to carry the war's racism against the opposite side." She picked up the large backpack that usually only Lin or Monk carried because it held all of the heavy back-up batteries in case of a power outage. "It'll be best that only I help you because they already see me as a traitor."

"Just how exactly is it practical to have both targets sticking together?" Naru scoffed, by then himself and the entire team walking through the school with a little over half of the equipment.

"I've been fighting these spirits for months." Mai shrugged. "If anyone besides John helps protect him if it's needed, then they will be considered traitors as well and will become targets." She easily made the things in her arms float so she could unlock the room and walk in. "Of course, you're the one in charge, Naru. Do whatever you want."

"If I told you to go home and let us handle this, would you?" Naru muttered, already knowing the answer.

"No. I meant you're the one in charge of your team. In case you've forgotten, I'm the one member of the team that you didn't even bother to call." Mai stated. "Gene was kind enough to inform me that you'd returned so I made sure to stay within cell service."

"Gene was supposed to have passed on years ago…" Naru ground out.

"He comes and he goes." Mai shrugged. "And, finally, he's stopped looking exactly like you. He prefers to wear white, actually, so he blends in with the angels. And he's found himself a girlfriend, too. I'll remember to tell him to introduce you to her the next time he visits."

"So spirits can return from heaven if they wish?" John asked curiously. "What if they become trapped again?"

"Dunno. It's probably still a threat. Then again, I hear only psychic spirits are able to come and go on a whim." Mai stated as she started to put together the shelves.

"If there's even a possibility of him being in danger because he insists on visiting you, then why do you let him?" Naru bit out bitterly, as if angry with her because his brother may be in danger.

"It's not my place to lecture anyone on how they choose to spend their afterlife." Mai stated. "And considering he was the only person from back then who seemed to care enough to wonder how I was doing, I wasn't going to complain." She then paused, closing her eyes as everyone else looked around frantically upon hearing the sound of knocking. "Relax, it's one of my traps. I set five of them."

"What kind of trap?" Ayako asked. "Sense when can you trap a ghost?"

"They're imprints, actually. Their spirits have already found peace. Isn't that right, Masako?"

"Yes. All I can sense is hate and pain." Masako nodded. "Nothing but that. They're nothing but imprinted feelings." She exhaled a sigh, straightening up once the knocking was gone. "They're gone now. I can still sense that they're here, but they're no longer a physical presence."

"Which means that it's safe to get the last of the equipment." Mai stated. "I still have four more traps that will keep them occupied. Ironically, it was an ancestor of Lin's who helped me with it. He was rather excited to be a part in a trap on the soldiers that killed his unborn daughter, especially when I told him that the trap wouldn't actually help them find peace."

"I wasn't aware anyone in my family from that time was still living." Lin stated.

"Nope. I've actually never met a living member of your family that I know of." Mai stated. "His name is Jun Lin. His wife was carrying triplets when she was mutilated, killing all four of them. After killing the entire squad involved, he committed suicide to rejoin his wife and children."

"Yes, I know his story. So, did he ever rejoin his wife and daughters?" Lin asked. "During that time, there wasn't the opportunity to have a shaman make sure he received his peace."

"He found his children rather quickly. Chinese children killed in such a way seem to tend to gravitate towards their fathers." Mai stated. "It actually took a lot of searching to find his wife, though. I found her haunting an abortion clinic in Hong Kong last year. She wasn't exactly pleased to see women murdering their own children while she would have given anything to have kept hers."

"So she'd been corrupted by hate." John sighed.

"I guess you can put it that way." Mai shrugged. They got to the van and started to load up on equipment again. Everyone noticed that she handed the lightest of the equipment to John, Masako, and Ayako. She carried the heaviest box. "Ah, I lied. I actually met a reincarnated member of the Lin Clan, if that counts. Jun Lin's son was reincarnated and born to a family living in Vietnam."

"According to our legends, children inherit their ancestor's shiki. When I was born, I already had four of my nine shiki." Lin stated.

"Yeah. But he was a reincarnation AND the last of his line, so he was born with twelve." Mai stated. "Mind you, it was a huge pain in the ass. The little brat loved to have his shiki pick him up and fly around like that. He carried a lot from his past life, so he knew from the beginning how to control his shiki."

"I have heard nothing of anyone having such control at such a young age." Lin stated.

"No. I've been training him with Jun's help. The kid was thrown into an orphanage and glued himself to a few psychics much like you're glued to Naru. They're Japanese, though. He's a bit too protective of his charges to move them to China."

"So, what, he's opted to stay at the orphanage?" Lin asked. "Has my family even been told of his existence?"

"Dunno. He's old enough to decide where he wants to live, though. He's been living at the Kyoto Chi Monk Temple for a couple years now. There, he doesn't have to worry about keeping secrets or teaching his girls to hide their powers."

"Meaning they never leave the temple." Naru stated. "There is a down side to raising a child in that sort of environment, Mai. If they never learn to control their powers, they'll never be able to function as a normal person."

"Assuming they want to." Mai stated. "In any case, all psychics at the temple are taught how to 'play human' if they're able to."

"What do you mean, 'able to'?" Naru echoed with almost a sneer. "What sort of powers would make it impossible for the individual to look normal?"

"A girl I know from the local temple is a seer. She'll just randomly stop and say something to someone as a warning. She's the reason why I came to school yesterday." Mai shrugged. "And there are always the kids born to religious parents, parents who attempted to beat their powers out of their children, either because they felt that only god should have inhuman powers or because they thought their children were possessed by demons. They're a bit too… scarred to be normal."

"Just how many psychics are there?" Naru huffed, not about to admit that she was right to think that they may not need to train to be able to function on normal society if those were their issues.

"Never asked, really. A couple hundred, maybe. Easily enough to fill this school's cafeteria come lunch time. That's not even counting everyone that opts to eat alone, though." Mai shrugged. "There are probably over fifty that opt to stay in the null-hall."

"What's it like there?" Masako asked as they walked into the base and started to actually set everything up. The shelving units went up first, followed by all of the electronics and their respective cords.

"It's like any other living area, honestly, except it's a null-zone." Mai shrugged.

"And that is…?" Naru asked, getting annoyed with not knowing something.

"An area that makes any paranormal abilities impossible. Masako, you might like that hall, depending on how powerful your powers are these days. It'll be a good break from the constant sensory-overload, you know?"

"Do you use those halls?" Lin asked.

Mai's face fell a little. "No. I can't stay in those areas for long. A few parts of my body only work now because of my powers." She answered.

"What? Why would that be?" Ayako asked worriedly.

Mai shrugged. "Just ended up that way, I guess."

Lin didn't stop his work, livid. It pissed him off that everyone accepted that half-ass reason so easily. How could they honestly believe that part of the girl's body now depended on supernatural powers for NO REASON? How the hell could Ayako, the freaking nurse by profession, accept that? All he could think about were the scars that he'd seen her show the spirit. They looked severe, like someone had tortured her.

 **How long into the story should it be that Lin realizes that he loves the girl? Any ideas. Review what you want to see in their later relationship and, if I use your idea, I'll credit you in the start/end Author Notes of that chapter.**


	4. Hell portal

**Hell portal**

Lin and Mai walked together down the halls, both carrying heavy equipment. Monk and Ayako were elsewhere with the same load, as were John and Masako. Monk would protect Ayako, John would protect Masako, and Lin and Mai would protect each other. Naru and Yasu stayed behind and made sure everything was fine as far as the links to the office for all the cameras was concerned.

Lin nearly tripped when his shiki suddenly projected… pleasure to him through their bond. It was then that he noticed that Mai was actually healing one of his shiki somehow, petting the eel-like creature even though it was invisible in her hands and should have been intangible as well.

"You don't have to do that. Save your energy." He told her. "They'll heal on their own."

"Yeah, but you're a walking target and you're even more open for attack if your bodyguards aren't as strong as they could be." Mai shrugged. "Besides, your shiki were related to my ancestors when they were living, apparently. It's easy to heal them."

"That doesn't mean you need to go out of your way to do it. Worry about yourself."

"Nothing here has the power to actually kill me yet. The worse they can do is summon something that can, and doing that will break a heavenly law. Once that happens, this case will be over."

"You've lost me." Lin stated.

"Freeing a demon from hell is against heavenly law. Breaking that law means a warrior angel can step in. They have the power to close that portal." Mai stated.

"But you just said that something they summon would have the power to kill you."

"Yep." Mai shrugged. "So, obviously, I'd prefer a warrior angel not have the grounds to come to this school and pull rank. I've fought demons before. I've fought them in their own domain a few times, too. It's not the sort of trouble a sane person should go looking for." Mai paused slightly, reluctant to walk down the stairs to get to the area they needed to get to.

Lin set down the shoulder cases that held his cameras, taking hers off as well before pulling her into his arms. "Is that closer to the portal?" He asked.

Most of the activity was on the 2nd level of the campus, which was the floor that Monk and Ayako were setting up. John and Masako were taking care of the 3rd level. Mai and Lin were in charge of the main level, along with the basement which had reported activity as well.

Mai didn't answer her question but she didn't need to. The further down they went, the more nervous she got. It was even worse walking towards the back of the school and to the basement.

Suddenly, the cooling systems came on. Mai dove clear across the room to where Lin was working on setting up a camera. Once he was done, he carefully put a hand on her shoulder and then pulled her into his chest.

"Just relax. My shiki sense no threat. Do you?" Lin asked quietly.

Mai's heart was pounding out of her chest and she didn't answer for a while. Eventually, she shook her head, her body starting to relax. She whispered out an apology, by then blushing brightly.

"No, don't be sorry." Lin told her once he was done with his task, just sitting there on the top of the ladder. "None of this should have ever happened to you. None of this would have happened if we had come back from England sooner."

"Lin, Naru doesn't want me on the team. I know you've already started to take cases. So things would have been the same. I humiliated him at the airport. I bet that's why he didn't come back for two years, too." Mai sighed. She jumped as there was another noise, hiding her face in Lin's chest, shaking again.

"I've got you." He whispered, holding her tighter. He made her sit sideways on his lap, holding her head to his chest as he pet her hair. "How is the picture, Naru?" He called over the radio.

"It's fine. Is everything alright down there?" Naru questioned with a bit of a bite to his tone.

"Yes. Everything is fine. Moving on to the next location." He only needed one arm to carry Mai as he climbed down the ladder. Once they were on the ground, he set Mai on the ground and knelt in front of her, holding onto her hands. "Are you ready?"

When she nodded, he moved them to the next location. She was just as nervous with this room. Lin knew automatically that it was warranted, though, as his shiki reported that something strong was watching them. He set up that camera quickly, got the OK that it was alright, and moved onto their last task as quickly as he could. But, just as they were about to leave, the door slammed shut.

Lin's shiki reported back again. The presence was watching them intently. It wanted to see how scared Mai could get, apparently having never seen her cling to another person for safety.

Mai was looking around frantically, trying to find a new way out. Lin's shiki responded that it was mostly past events that were scaring her, the feeling of being dragged into something and having no way to escape. In response to her panic, things in the room started to float.

"Mai!" Lin shouted after trying to call her name a couple times.

Mai gasped, whipping around to look at him. Her eyes were full of fear, of terror. Every breath was a gasp. She started to calm slightly when she had something besides the closing-in walls to pay attention, though.

"S-Sorry…" She gasped out, her arms wrapped around her body as she edged away from him. "I'm sorry."

Lin sighed again. Sorry for what? None of this was her fault. If they'd taken care of her like they should have, then she wouldn't be traumatized at all! "No. You have nothing to be sorry for." He told her solidly. "It's not your fault. There's nothing wrong with being scared. It's human nature to be scared."

She cracked a small smile, glancing away. "My humanity is one of many things up for debate." She smirked. "I'm fine. Sorry for the power-show. Let's get out of here." She gasped softly, stopping short as a bandage-covered man appeared in front of the door. "Hayate." She breathed. Then she groaned. "Oh, not you too. The war is over!"

"You know, it suddenly makes sense why I never noticed you looking at any of the boys on campus." He spoke, his voice full of laughter.

Mai groaned. "Not this again. Lin, please ignore the dead pervert who still thinks all girls on their periods should be engaged."

"Oh come now. Do you deny that he's the only person you've sought comfort from in three years?"

Lin frowned. Three years? Three years of never being comforted by another? Those scars he'd seen were recent. He'd seen her in a state of undress when she was cut up and he helped bandage her. She had no scars then. Had no one comforted her? Suddenly, he found himself angry with Ayako and Monk, two members of the team who were in the country when she needed them most.

"Enough of this. Please release us." He requested, stepping forward. "You've seen what you wanted to see."

Hayate smirked more, kneeling down so Mai's downturned bushing face wouldn't be out of his gaze. "The girl that pretends she doesn't feel fear runs for the arms of one of the men who abandoned her? Riddle me that, little one."

Mai spoke in Russian, probably thinking Lin didn't know the language. "What part of 'spoiled goods' don't you understand? The second this case is over, he'll be gone and so will the others."

Spoiled goods. Was it because her torso was so scarred, or had someone taken her innocence? Either way, the idea that someone had harmed her in any way made him want to hunt and kill the one who did it. The realization that he seemed to be the only one who cared, though, with the hate he had for her before… made him feel like he should never allow this girl near any of the team. They were fare-weather friends. They were friendly and caring when she was near, but if they had to go out of their way to take care of her, they'd forget she existed and carry on with their lives.

"In a language I understand, please." He requested, pinching the bridge of his nose.

Mai sighed a breath of relief, glad that he didn't speak Russian. "Now please let us out. We have one more camera to put up."

"The room you want is not one you want, little one." Hayate stated. He glanced over to Lin, his eyes becoming hard. "Take her to that room and I'll make sure you regret it."

"Hayate, what are you-" She cut herself off with a pain-filled whimper as she fell to her knees in pain, holding onto her head.

Lin bolted to close the distance between the two of them. He noticed the ghost also trying to reach for her, but his hand went through her and he scowled at the reminder of his lack of a solid body. Lin held onto the pained girl, calling her name in an effort to get her to tell him what was wrong. Finally, he lifted her into his arms and kicked open the door. He bolted up the stairs but stopped when he saw that the hall was filled with other bandaged men, these ones glaring at him.

The bandaged men came closer, holding out their hands, wanting Mai. Lin was hopeful that they were just angry that a Chinese man was holding a young Japanese girl in his arms, paranoid about what he'd do to her considering what they had done to Chinese women. Monk walked up, chanting his usual chant with Ayako chanting hers as well. Eventually, they made it to the base.

"Lin, damn it, what happened down there?" Naru bit out, staring at the same sequence of video feed over and over.

"We were talking to a spirit that Mai seemed to know. He was the one to lock us in the room, apparently wanting to get a reaction out of Mai." Lin stated. "When we brought up the last room to put a camera in, he basically forbade her to go in and threatened me if I took her there. Then Mai dropped to her knees. I couldn't get a reaction out of her so I took her out of the room."

"Look at this. This is what we got before the feed ended." Naru muttered, angry.

Lin looked at the feed. It started at when the ghost appeared. The conversation was as Lin remembered it, but then the audio seemed to have some background noise that steadily got louder until it was unmistakably the sound of pain-filled screaming. Then, through the thermal sensor, they could see that the floor was becoming warmer starting at the wall. The air also became warmer, but the temperature change seemed to be coming in a constant line, a perfect line going along the floor. When it got to where Mai was standing, she went down. Hands could be seen, hand-shaped figures of pure heat, coming up from the ground.

Lin's shiki had known nothing. They hadn't sensed anything amiss.

Mai suddenly woke up with a gasp, bolting upright and then jumping away from the first person to approach her, which happened to be John, the most harmless of them all. She yet again apologized and answered 'I'm fine' when Ayako asked how she was feeling.

"You've been touched by hell, Mai. No one can be 'fine' after that." Masako sighed. "And I'm the one who should be sorry. I sensed a demonic presence but I completely forgot that there was an actual _portal_ down there. And then the radios filled with that screaming."

"Screaming?" Mai echoed. When she listened to the audio feed from the basement, she sighed. "Minions. Probably fire-demon minions. They must be expanding the doorway."

"Should I be concerned that you know so much about the workings of the underworld?" Naru questioned in a bored tone as if he didn't really care.

"I'm a shaman. Kinda in the job description to know about hell. Only been there a couple times, though. Don't plan on going back there again." Mai sighed. "As soon as we take care of the imprints here, I can call in a lower-level angel to close the portal."

"Why not call one in now?" Masako asked, confused.

"There can't be any power-flow. The imprints are being powered by something on the other side of the portal. Only a warrior-angel is powerful enough to close it as things are now, and they don't act unless a law has been broken. The imprints have to summon a demon to warrant a warrior-angel to grace us with his or her presence."

"Alright, let's not let it get to that point." Lin stated stiffly, a chill going down his spine as he remembered what the girl had told him.

Everyone nodded in agreement, even Naru.

"We'll avoid the basement in general for the rest of this. We don't fight monsters." Naru stated. "Mai, how much have you learned about these spirits?"

"This school was a hospital during the war. The spirits are all the patients who came back and didn't leave. The incinerator is actually the focal point of the portal. There's a kind of septic tank full of their ashes. There was too much to just toss into a river or something. I've already helped most of them pass on, though. The only ones left are the imprinted feelings. There are a handful of wandering spirits of other people who died in the hospital, but they're not related and stay out of this."

"But they could be corrupted as well." Naru stated.

"Yeah, possibly." Mai stated, though it was obvious that she hadn't wanted to actually admit to that being a possibility. "Anyway, these guys are just like any spirit except they're a little tougher to deal with because they don't actually have a soul."

"We'll split up and hit it from all angles. Yasuhara and Masako will take the 3rd floor, John on the same floor but doing a separate cleansing. Ayako and Monk, you'll both tag-team the 2nd floor. Mai, Lin, and I will stay here. We'll keep an eye on the cameras and sound the alarm if any of you have issues."

They all left to do their own thing and Lin eased Mai to lay back down on the couch. "Just relax. Try to get some sleep."

Mai rolled her eyes. "You mean gather information."

Lin had honestly forgotten that she gathered information in her dreams. "No. I mean sleep. We have enough information."

"More would be useful, though." Naru stated with his back to them so he didn't see Lin's glare.

"Glad to see nothing has changed." Mai sighed sarcastically. She curled up on the couch, one arm as a pillow and the other wrapping around her torso. She smiled when Lin put his coat over her, a smile that he returned.

 **We all remember what she can do in her sleep, right? What do you want her to do/see in the next chapter and what should everyone's reactions be? Review and you might see it.**


	5. Mai works overtime

**Mai works overtime**

Naru rolled his eyes in annoyance as his assistant was yet again staring at their past secretary. "Lin, if she's that distracting, I'll have her removed from the room."

"If it annoys you that much that I'm concerned for her wellbeing, then maybe you shouldn't have disbanded SPR. She wouldn't have lost any support if SPR had carried on and one of your father's agents could have easily come down and taken over managing it."

"If you're trying to imply that her condition is my fault, then you're trying a bit too hard to find someone to blame." Naru stated without missing a beat. "No one forced you to follow me to England."

"In case you've forgotten, my job is to observe you and report back to your father." Lin stated with venom in his voice. "So, yes, something did force me to follow you to England."

"Do we need to separate you two?" Yasu chuckled as he and Masako walked into the room. "Fighting over little Mai? And what do you mean, her condition?"

"Your guess is as good as mine." Mai sighed, still curled up under the coat but with her eyes open. "Oh, and I won."

"Not everyone can fly through walls, you little show-off!" Ayako huffed as she walked in. "How the hell did you even DO that?"

"I recall telling you to gather information – not have contests with my employees." Naru stated.

"Yep. And considering I was the only one not getting a phone call four days ago, I recall NOT being your employee still. And, because I'm _not_ your employee, that also makes you _not_ my boss." She continued to smirk. "And, because I am under no obligation to listen to anything you say, there are an extra 83-less imprints here tonight."

"So I almost beat you!" Monk shouted. "I counted 70!"

"Actually, you were at 78. You must have lost count at some point." Mai stated. "So you got pretty close."

"So how were there more than one of you?" Masako asked. "I sensed your spirit in at least five locations."

"Hmm… I only had four…" Mai mused. "Guess the 5th was my body. Anyway, I can divide myself as many times as I want so long as there's a fraction of my power being split as well. Nothing out tonight was strong enough to trap a spirit like mine, so it was fine."

Naru sighed irritably. It was midnight. "Who told you to come back?"

"It's midnight, Naru. We can start again in the morning." Ayako sighed.

"Fine. We start again at 8am." Naru bit out.

Monk sighed, nodding. He, John, and Ayako walked away to get sleep while they had the chance. They all left for the attic. None cared that they were actually all in the same room and that the beds weren't exactly the comfortable ones they were used to. Most of them were so exhausted they didn't even notice.

Masako woke Lin up, putting a hand over his mouth when he tried to ask her what she needed. She led him out of the room, Lin following because his Shiki notified him that there wasn't anything wrong with her as far as something controlling her.

"I thought Mai cloned herself, but she's not in her bed." Masako reported. "You seem to be the only one that notices that she's not the same as she used to be, though. The others see what they want to see and Naru doesn't seem to care at all."

"But you noticed." Lin stated. "It amazes me that the two that were least close to her are the only ones that notice or care to notice." He let out a low whistle, his shiki instantly finding her. "Go back to sleep, Masako. I'll take care of her and a shiki will wake Monk if assistance is needed."

Masako nodded and went back to sleep, calmed knowing Lin was going to take care of her. Wondering idly how the medium knew that something was different about the little assistant, Lin started to walk to the direct center of the school where Mai was meditating. Nine orbs were around her, small dragons curled up in balls. Mai seemed to be straining herself as she held an orb between her hands, struggling to contain something within it.

Lin looked to his left, seeing the ghost known as Hayate also in the area. He walked over to the man. "What is she doing?" He asked. "Does this girl ever sleep?"

"She's an insomniac. Past events have trained her instincts to never let herself be vulnerable for longer than absolutely necessary." Hayate stated. "Right now, she's containing the energy coming from the hell-doorway. Because there are less spirits now, there's more energy to go to the remaining ones. Mai is blocking that energy flow."

Lin sighed. "She didn't tell anyone that she planned on doing this." He sighed again. "What exactly happened to her? Earlier, when you were talking to her, she called herself spoiled goods. Before, when I saw her through my shiki, her torso was covered in scars."

The spirit sighed. "At her last school, when she was unable to find another apartment that would accept a student in her position, she was forced to move to an orphanage. The orphanage was abusive, though. They saw her powers and already knew exactly what drugs to give her to block her powers so they could continue to abuse her. The school didn't even notice when she didn't go to school. They didn't care. No one cared. Those people were not human. The torture that girl went through was even worse than what the most twisted soldiers did to your people during the war."

Lin hid his anger. Anger was pointless. For now. Later, he'd channel the anger on anyone or anything that dared even scare the girl. "Did they rape her?" He asked. He needed to know. Helping a rape victim recover was far different from an abuse victim… especially considering he was a large man.

"We don't know. Because of what they did, though, she's not exactly sure if she'll be able to carry children. Some of her organs are now powered by her powers. On top of that, she's been far too hurt by a man's hand to ever allow herself to be put into such a position willingly. Just because you were able to hold her when she was scared doesn't mean she'll let you-"

"I'm not forcing her into anything like that. She's much too young." Lin interrupted.

"So you are in love with her."

Lin scowled. "I just realized that my mother is likely laughing hysterically with our ancestors right now." He stated. "It was she who told me that I'd likely end up falling in love with a Japanese woman. But she's much too young to worry about such things. Considering the rest of her so-called friends don't even notice she has been scarred, I'll be her guardian until she's ready for otherwise."

"I think I may grow to like you Chinese people." Hayate chuckled. "Koujou Lin." He called when he approached Mai. "Once the spirits are gone, things are going to get exponentially more dangerous. Do not let this girl alone, even if I'm with her. She's far more determined to keep herself alive if she knows people will miss her."

Lin nodded. "Understood. I'll take care of her." He sat down. "She won't be alone if I have any say in the matter."

Lin recognized the spell to be of his ancestors, sitting down and synchronizing his breathing with Mai's. After about an hour, he felt the spell shifting onto him as well. Instantly, he felt an intense strain. He kept at it, helping her with the barrier. This was only a fraction of what she'd been feeling while he slept unknowing. He channeled his anger and his resolve into energy to keep the barrier up. He'd protect this girl from now on. He'd help her as much as possible and do whatever he could to make it so she was as happy as she once was.

The doorway to hell got steadily harder to contain as the energy pooling out of it didn't go back in but just increased the pressure on the barrier over time. Eventually, the sun must have come up. Lin felt himself being touched and he realized that it was Mai standing in front of him, her soft hand on his. The light blinded him, though, forcing him to close his eyes.

"Enough, Lin. I can hold it on my own." Mai chuckled. She put one of his arms over her shoulders, lifting him up. She rolled her eyes when he tried to walk on his own but just made an idiot out of himself. "I should find your father and make him scold you for getting in over your head. I didn't even notice you'd tried to help me."

"Forgive me for not asking permission." Lin panted in return. He frowned slightly when he was handed off to Monk and Yasu. "You need rest too, Mai."

"I'll rest when this door is closed." Mai retorted. "Besides, I'm used to this sort of stuff. You guys may not fight monsters, but I do."

"Did you get any sleep last night?" Naru muttered as he walked past.

"Nope." Mai shrugged. "Why? You worried about me?"

"Don't be an idiot. I just want to know if you're going to be useful today or not."

"That's what I thought." Mai chuckled. "And, yes, I'll be more careful to make sure Lin can't help me with the barrier. I'm sorry I let him stay up with me." She glanced to the others still around. "The spirits should be weaker now that they're not being energized by the doorway. Hopefully, you won't need to stay another night."

"What about the doorway?" Ayako asked. "When our job is done, what about yours?"

Mai shrugged, walking away. "Leave when you're done with the spirits. I'll contact the office once the doorway is closed. Your job is to take care of the haunting. SPR doesn't deal with monsters."

"We stayed to face Urado because one of us was staying." Masako stated.

"Yes, and none of you are staying." Mai stated as she continued to walk away, not looking at them. "In case you've forgotten, I'm the one member of SPR that wasn't invited back."

"You're our friend." John told her.

"Clearly." Mai muttered emotionlessly when she stopped. She turned and looked at them. "I've been alone for the last three years. If I'd died at any point before yesterday evening, you would have never noticed. When I didn't come to that little reunion party you threw in the office, none of you even cared enough to look me up and inform me that SPR was back." She walked away again. "Please finish your jobs so I can finish mine, then leave and continue to ignore my existence."

"Is that what you really want, Mai?" Naru questioned. "You want us to abandon you?"

"That's what I said, isn't it?" Mai retorted, stopping again. "It certainly shouldn't be too hard for you."

"Then why is it you can't look at us and say that?" Naru questioned.

"Whatever. I don't care what you do. Just stay out of my way." Mai muttered, walking away. "I'd like to avoid a trip to hell because a ghost hunter thinks he's a god." She walked to the main floor where she was directly above the portal.

Hayate walked up. "You actually want them to stay."

"Humans are social creatures." Mai stated.

"But you're afraid of being hurt again, aren't you, little human?" Hayate asked, his voice a solid purr. "You're scared. You'd rather face hell alone than risk forming another friendship that's doomed to break."

Mai sighed. Hayate had never once called her 'little human'. It was a term used by those who weren't humans and never had been. And that purr to his voice also made it obvious that something was wrong. Seriously wrong. When she turned to face the ghost of the school, she saw a skeletal face and red eyes beneath the head bandages. "Hayate." She called when she saw the eyes flash black for a second. "You can't fight a demon. Just relax. It'll be alright."

"Not for you." The demon purred. "You cannot lower this barrier while your friends are nearby and you have not summoned an angel. The warriors will not sense me because I'm barrowing this body."

Mai didn't scream as she was pinned to the wall, nor when fire-pokers stabbed her through the hands, shoulders, and thighs. She knew they all missed her arteries. Those wounds wouldn't kill her very quickly so long as the offending objects stay within her.

"When they leave, you can try to hold out as long as you want. Once you die of blood loss, your barrier will go with you. I'll absorb all the energy those lords have been feeding through and then I'll go on my marry way and see what this world has to offer. Or you can save me the time and let it go right now."

Mai took a deep breath, looking straight at those red eyes. "Maybe you should find yourself a book. You're in for a bit of a wait."

"Oh, don't worry. Once those other spirits are not around to hog all the energy, I'll make your death as creative as possible. Oh, and don't waste your prayers. Unless they sense me, no warrior angel will answer your call. Feel free to summon a joy bringer, though. They're fun. It'll be a good snack for my brethren on the other side."

"I'll keep that in mind." Mai muttered. Once he was gone, Mai let her head drop. She let out a sigh of relief when she realized that no cameras would see her current position. She carefully created a spell that would make her invisible.

She kept her breathing steady. Though she wasn't looking forward to the death that the demon had in mind for her, she wanted to survive long enough for SPR to clear out all of the spirits and leave. Once they were gone, she'd try her best to create enough destruction for them to believe that she died in some sort of structural-failure accident.

"I'm sorry." She whispered to anyone who would actually notice her missing and miss her. When she didn't return to the temple for long enough, they would wonder what became of her. After that, they would miss her. Mai hoped that they never found a body so that they could always keep the hope that she was alive somewhere. "I'm sorry."

She couldn't help but smirk, though. She was told long ago that, because of what she did to help others, when she died, it would be a warrior angel to escort her soul. Hopefully, the demon would still be nearby. He wouldn't be lose for long.

 **So… decision time. Is it going to be the entire team to find her and rescue her, or is it going to be just a couple of them? Should I save Hayate somehow? Review and tell me what you think should happen.**


	6. Save her

**Save her**

Lin woke up, groggy and out of it. Naru was beside him, as was his father and grandfather. Lin glanced over to his elders, confused. His grandmother was there as well, healing and rejuvenating the energy of his shiki.

"I called them." Naru stated as if sensing Lin's confusion. "I have a feeling we'll need the extra firepower, anyway."

"Where is she?" Lin rasped out, voice sounding like it belonged to some kind of frog rather than a human.

"Mai wants us to finish our task and leave her to finish the portal alone." Naru stated. "However, I do not take orders, especially not from someone inferior to me. I informed your father and grandfather of what we were dealing with before they arrived."

"She can't be alone." Lin stated as he forced himself to sit up. "Hayate even told me not to leave her alone. Things will get worse for her when the other spirits are gone. As we were holding the barrier, energy kept on pouring through with nowhere to go."

"Alright, son." His father agreed, helping him stand and walking with him carefully. "Mr. Davis, please say with my father and mother."

Eventually, Lin remembered how to use his own legs and walked on his own. The pair started at the basement, checking every possible place for her before heading up a level. They continued to search until they hit the attic and ran out of places to look. Finally, all of the spirits were gone.

Naru looked Lin in the eyes, severely annoyed. "Bring her back." He commanded. He got into the van, sitting in the driver's seat. "Leave Mai to Lin."

The two vehicles drove off, leaving the four Lins at the school. They walked back into the school.

"Do you want to know how I chose my bride all those years ago, Koujo?" His grandfather chuckled. He put a hand over his grandson's eyes. "Close your eyes. Tell your shiki to find her. They will."

Lin closed his eyes, connecting with his shiki. He remembered doing it when he first went looking for her when she ran ahead to find Masako and save her from Urado. Had the connection been like that from the beginning? He took a deep breath, sending his Shiki out. Finally, they found her. Her head was down and her breathing was even. Her thighs, shoulders, and hands she were stabbed and sticking her to the wall like a bad parody of Jesus's crucifixion.

Lin was running faster than he'd ever gone in his life. Suddenly, he was in front of her. He couldn't see her, but he knew she was there. "Mai?" He whispered, cupping her face. He could feel her. She was still warm. "Mai, please, hold on for a little longer."

"No. No-no-no…" She begged. "Lin, run. Get out of here. Please." She became visible, her face covered in tears, her blood streaming down the wall. "Please. Go." Her eyes focused on something behind him. "Please. Leave him out of this. Please. I'll let you drag me to hell. Anything. Hayate, I know you're in there. You said you were sorry for what you did to China during the war!" She was panting heavily, gasping out the words. "This is your chance to make up for it. Let him go."

Lin sighed, tilting her chin up and kissing her. "I'll never leave you alone again." He swore solidly. He turned, finding Hayate but with a skeletal face and bright red eyes.

"Oh, let her keep on begging. It's music to my ears." The thing purred out, flashing a toothy grin, the teeth all fangs. "No? Oh, no matter. She'll be begging for mercy before long. And so will you. Oh, and do you want to know something completely hilarious?"

"What?" Lin questioned stiffly.

The thing laughed loudly and then composed itself. "Hayate knew this would come. He warned you. Do you remember that episode in the basement, hmm? Oh, I'll bring her so much more pain."

Lin was suddenly thrown clear down the hall. He got back up and ran, only fueled by the sound of Mai's agonizing scream. Lin didn't even have to whistle to summon his Shiki this time. They were already itching to come out. When the bastard ripped Mai off the wall and attempted to use her as a shield, they easily evaded her and tore through his body. He hurled her down the hall the opposite direction, only to be thrown right into the arms of his skilled healer grandparents and his much-stronger father.

"N-No..." Mai gasped out, trying to still drag herself down the hall. "L-Lin…"

"Hush now, dear." His grandmother whispered, starting with the shoulder wounds. "Koujo will be fine."

"N-no, he doesn't even know what he's fighting!" Mai tried to argue. She then bit back a scream as something strong pounded on the inside of the barrier around the doorway. Cuts covered her body as the barrier started to crack. "I'm not dead yet, damn it…" She hissed out. Coughing up blood, she tried to focus her energy on the barrier.

"He doesn't need to fight. Our backup has arrived." Lin's father smirked, relaxing his pose. "Go to your woman, son. This is over."

"Father?" Lin called, completely confused and not relaxing.

Then he froze upon seeing something that could only be described as a male angel suddenly pinning the demon to the floor via two swords to the gut. The scream that followed was an inhuman roar of pain. The angel was easily eight feet tall with massive pure white wings and a paper-white robe fastened with golden ropes.

Lin nodded, dashing over to Mai. He skidded on his knees, carefully lifting her to sit on his lap. He ran his hands down her arms until they were on top of the hands that controlled the barrier. "Let me help, Mai. It'll be alright." He whispered as he slowly took control of the barrier. He didn't even flinch as one of the cuts transferred to him from the cracking barrier. Eventually, he gained full control of the barrier, which he surrendered to the angel upon his father telling him it was alright.

"Bring her, son. She needs to see this." His father commanded.

Lin nodded. Though it killed him to lift the girl considering it was impossible to do it without hurting her, he lifted her broken body into his arms.

"L-Lin…" Mai whispered, exhausted but looking up at him. She smiled a weak smile. "You suck at taking orders."

Lin smiled down at her, walking down the stairs. "You need to see this, Mai. Then you can sleep."

They stopped at a portion of the basement that Lin could sense held great evil. In front of them was an incinerator that was covered in a purple aura. The angel slammed the orb that controlled the barrier into it, forcing the entire thing to flatten until the entire aura of evil disappeared completely. Once that was done, the angel stabbed both of his swords into the ground to the hilts, purifying the area.

"If I'd known you guys came before you sensed a demon, I would have summoned you hours ago." Mai sighed. "Just how many warrior angels are there, anyway? I don't think I've ever met you." Her eyes were unfocused as she looked at the angel.

"I've been known to tweak the rules when summoned by a Lin." The angel chuckled. He walked up, putting a hand on her head. "Tell me, little shaman. Have you ever been to a warrior angel's cloud?"

Mai nodded, by then barely conscious. "Lysander brought me to his cloud after I did his job for him last year." She whispered. "Don't remember it, tho…" She lost consciousness.

"May I go as well?" Lin requested. "Please, I told her I'd never leave her alone."

"Yes, yes, you're more than welcome. Would you three like to join as well?" The angel turned to address Lin's father and grandparents.

"No, dear, this shall be a special experience for the pair." Lin's grandmother chuckled. "Now Koujo, take good care of her. We'll be at your apartment when you return. For now, we'll inform your friends that everything is taken care of."

Lin's father walked up and kissed Mai softly on the forehead. "I expect a proper introduction to my daughter when you return."

"Father, she hasn't even agreed to be mine." Lin sighed.

"Son, she tried to offer her soul be dragged to hell to keep you safe." His father deadpanned. "She may be shocked. Your mother was. I hope you'll be a bit subtler than I was." He laughed at the memory, rubbing the back of his head.

Lin nodded. His father was awful with advice. He was the bluntest man on the world. Lin didn't doubt that his mother ran for the hills upon hearing something along the lines of 'you belong with me' or something inappropriate like that upon their first meeting.

 **Yes, I know that a lot of you wanted me to save Hayate. I will, in a way. And to find out how, you'll have to read the next chapter. Aside for my killing the poor helpful spirit, how did you like it? Review!**


	7. Healing

**Healing**

Lin suddenly felt himself being lifted. Though, soon after he registered the sensation and realized that he no longer stood in the basement with his father and grandparents, he suddenly found himself in a pure white living room that seemed to be made of clouds. In front of him was a warm pool of water that was steaming.

"Submerge completely. Just a quick dunk is all that is needed." The angel stated. "Make sure to plug her nose. Don't worry about clothes until her pain is gone."

Lin didn't even bother with his phone or wallet as he walked into the water. Mai was still unconscious in his arms. He was reluctant to dunk, but he convinced himself to obey the angel. He grabbed onto Mai securely, plugged her nose, and covered her mouth with his. He dunked both of their bodies completely under the water.

When they came back up, Mai was more conscious but out of it. Thankfully, she wasn't stressed by the submersion, just softly confused and half asleep. Carefully, he brought them back to shallow water where he removed her shoes, socks, pants, and shirt. He paused whenever she showed pain. Eventually, she only wore her underwear in the water. They were solid colors, as he'd expected. She wasn't the type to spend extra money on flashy underclothes.

"I've got you, Mai." Lin whispered when Mai was conscious enough to realize they were in water and cling to him. By that point, he was down to his boxers. "Just let me hold you. Wait for your arms to heal. You're hurting yourself."

"Lin…" She whispered. Suddenly, she gasped and spun around. "We're not dead, are we?! I told you to run!" Tears came to her eyes, a mix of pain and fear. "I told you to run. Why didn't you leave?"

Lin chuckled, holding her by the back to press their bodies together. "Relax. We're alive. We're both alive. An angel came. Do you remember? Think back. You were awake when we closed the hell-doorway. You spoke to the angel?"

"B-But you'd been helping me with the barrier all night…" Mai whimpered, nearly crying. "Why didn't you run? How did you even find me? Your shiki shouldn't have even be able to see me. I saw you and a few other pass me once. You didn't see me. Why were you looking for me?"

"Mai… is it really so hard to believe that I care for you?" Lin sighed. "Onmyoji… are different, especially those of us who are reincarnations. Sometimes, it takes a while, but we just… find the people we're destined to stay with. Naru and I were friends in our past lives, maybe brothers. That is why we are so close."

"Alright, just because I used to be in love with him doesn't mean-"

"No. Just listen, alright? And don't be afraid. Please. I'll never hurt you."

Mai sighed, nodding. "I'm listening."

"When we first met at your school, when you were in trouble, I came for you the second you got into trouble. When you were being dragged into that well, I dove for you without even thinking. When you were being held by Urado, I was able to use my shiki to find you without ever training them to find you." Lin stated. "I never gave any of those things any thought. You reminded me so much of Gene that you were precious to me by that point. When I saw what happened at the airport, I nearly abandoned my position and went to you. The second I got on the same country and actually had the time to do it, I was again able to have my shiki find you from miles away and then command them to help you when you were attacked. I was so angry with the rest of the team for not realizing that you weren't alright, even when you were standing right in front of them with scars just barely out of sight."

Mai was trembling slightly, just barely pushing away from him. In her eyes, there was fear accompanied with hope, a very odd mix. "Wh-what are you saying, Lin…?" She whispered.

The fear in her eyes killed them. "Please don't be scared, Mai." He begged. He cupped her face. "I'll never hurt you. Never. And I won't make you do anything you're not ready for." He swore.

Mai winced as she did it, but she wound her arms around his neck and rested her head on his shoulder. "Lin, you're probably the only member of the team that didn't abandon me three years ago." She sighed. When she looked back up at him, she didn't see his eyes for long. The second he saw the trust in her eyes, he kissed her. Mai ended up responding to the kiss, though her options limited on how to respond considering she could only move her head and neck without causing herself pain.

"Mai, I love you. We can take this as slowly as you want, though. I just want to have a part in your life. I want to be there for you, always." Lin told her. "You don't have to join SPR if you don't want to. I'll never be able to trust them to protect you, anyway."

His shiki reported that she was at least nervous, wary of accepting his love. Lin didn't blame her in the slightest. She'd been in love with Naru and, when she summoned the courage to confess it, he took her heart and broke it in front of an airport full of people before leaving her sobbing. If Lin regretted anything, it was not abandoning Naru right then and comforting the girl as he'd done in the hospital just a couple months before then.

And, of course, their nearly-naked position in a pool of water certainly didn't give any credit to his offer to take their relationship slow. Lin didn't need his shiki to tell him that part. He wasn't that oblivious. He was standing there, both of them in their most basic layers, holding her vulnerable body against his own. This was a position for lovers, not friends as he'd implied they could be. However, even knowing that, he couldn't let her go. It felt like something bad would happen if he even separated their bodies. What if she got afraid, knowing her injuries kept her from swimming? What if the lack of contact brought her back to the pain? What if she wanted the contact and got the wrong idea if he pushed her away?

"Mai, please say something." Lin sighed after a few minutes of unmoving silence.

Her head was still on his shoulder, so he could feel that her mouth did open and close a couple times. His shiki reported to him that she was afraid, not of him but of saying the wrong thing. And she was tired, both mentally and physically. Though, she did hold him tighter, even though it caused her pain to do so.

It was a response. A positive response. His shiki confirmed it, claiming that she was now worried that her lack of a verbal response would make him move away from her. She wanted the contact. She wanted to be in his arms. Lin smiled. He didn't expect her to jump into his bed or anything. She wasn't that kind of girl. Though she may have become more guarded over the years, she was still very much the Mai Taniyama he grew to respect those three years ago.

Lin eventually took them out of the water. He bandaged her hands first, glad to see that the water somehow healed the wounds so that surgery wasn't needed. The hand-wounds now looked like it was a small nail that had gone through, painful but not surgery-worthy. Her shoulders were slightly worse, likely because they hadn't been in the water as much in his attempt to keep her head above the water. Those required assistance from his shiki because the pain made her instincts/powers flair.

Finally, there were her legs. They'd never left the water until the end, but it was a larger wound purely because the thigh was larger. Getting her to lie down wasn't very hard, but his shiki were quick to report that the position made her uncomfortable and, as his hands started to work the wound, scared. The position was similar to the one associated with sex, after all, and his hands were mere inches away from a sacred area. Lin went slowly with the rest of the right leg, gave her a break, and then bandaged the left.

Carefully, he dressed her in the clothes that appeared in the same fashion the bandages had – out of nowhere the second he thought of the need. It was a simple light blue dress with very low-reaching buttons to minimize shoulder-movement when putting the arms through the holes. Once she was dressed, a blanket appeared. When Lin remembered that he was also undressed, he suddenly found himself clothed in black slacks and a button-up white shirt, his usual attire.

Mai got a laugh out of his priceless reaction, though it was a tired one that only reminded him of her exhaustion. A bed was the next to appear, obviously coming in response to Lin's thoughts again. Lin carefully deposited her in it but followed her in when his shiki reported that she wasn't ready to lose their contact.

"I've got you, Mai." He said for what must be the millionth time that day.

Slowly and worriedly, using her powers to reach out to him to make sure she wasn't hurting him somehow, she edged closer to him. Over the span of an hour, she closed the distance of about two feet and untangled herself from the blankets, trying to be as sly about it as possible. Lin let her do it alone, unsure how close she wanted to be to him. As it would have it, she wanted to be very close, because she didn't stop until he was faking sleep and she was curled up at his side, calmly asleep.

Lin was in paradise, as were his shiki. As with all omnioji, master and shiki were connected irreversibly. His destined mate was theirs as well, which is why they were able to seek her out so easily even before Lin understood what was even going on. Sadly, their bond went both ways, as they didn't understand the full scale of the situation until he did, either. His shiki, however, were overjoyed that her instinct were also active so soon. Though her mind was still afraid, her heart trusted them.

It took a couple days for Mai to be able to really freely move her hands, even longer to move her arms and legs. Lin quickly learned to hold her by the hips to take the weight off her leg-wounds. Though she could easily fly around with her powers which recovered soon after they slept on the first day, she knew she needed to be able to 'play human' as she called it.

The angel, Tai, was an ancestor of Lin's and had often 'played favorites' to the family because of it. The head of the family, which was Lin's father currently, could easily summon him without the need for a heavenly law to be first broken. This was his cloud, his heavenly home that responded to the oral or just mental wishes of its inhabitants.

The second he said that, his robes turned pink. Mai was then convinced that the cloud was the coolest thing in the known universe, too busy laughing to apologize for making the heavenly being turn pink. Another angel then appeared, one apparently superior to Tai.

"Oh come on, I know for a fact Banika has turned you pink at least-"

The other angel glared, unsheathing his sword and pointing it at the still-wounded girl with an unwavering gaze. "You are even more unbearable when you actually get the sleep humans require." He muttered. He then smirked when Lin's shiki bolted to her defense. "Banika will be interested to hear that you've been keeping such news from her and her sisters."

"Well then, I'm sure the 'thank you' sex for your big mouth will-" Mai jumped away as the angel took a swing at her, though wining when Lin grabbed onto her and held her like a baby in his arms. "He's not actually gonna hurt me. I'm friends with his mate."

"Half harpy. That grudge would last a while." Tai smirked. He cleared his throat to cover it up when the other angel glared at him. "In any case, Lysander, what can I do for you? It's rare for you to visit me."

"I got the report of a hell-doorway. I'm well aware that you bend the rules when your descendants are involved and do not care so long as you stay in the way of the light." Lysander stated. "However, the fact that we would have otherwise never known to step in is concerning. If it wasn't a descendant of yours, that demon would have been lose for some time."

"Not really." Mai shrugged. "Remember? When I do die, it's gonna be a warrior angel to escort my soul. He wasn't gonna go on his way until the barrier came off the doorway, and that wasn't gonna happen until I was dead. I figured the time to absorb all that energy would be enough for one of your guys to get their asses in gear."

"If Banika hears of you speaking of your own death so casually, she'll worry that you want to die." Lysander stated. Lin's shiki reported that he was, also, worried. Lin was as well. She didn't seem bothered at all.

"Yeah, well, it wasn't like I had another option. That barrier took up all my focus. Something got through and attached to one of the main spirits of the building, possessing him and using that to hide from everyone. I didn't even sense him and I was right next to him." Mai shrugged. "The portal was giving energy to the imprinted emotions that became spirits, making them strong enough to harm humans. I put a barrier around it to stop that energy flow, making them easier for the humans to purify the area. That came back to bite us, though, because then there was one spirit to take it all."

"He knew. Hayate tried to warn me. The demon even told me that." Lin sighed. "When Mai and I worked together to hold up the barrier so the team could get some sleep, he told me to never let her alone, even if it's alone with him. He said that things would only get more dangerous when the other spirits were gone."

"Sadly, the spirit could not be saved. He was destroyed in the fight." Tai sighed.

Mai bit her lip, looking away. Lin didn't need his shiki to tell him that the news of her lost friend upset her. He wasn't sure how close the two had been, but it was close enough. Lin held her tighter, petting her head.

"I'm sorry." Lin whispered.

Both of the angels left. Lin took Mai back to the bed as Mai finally lost the battle of emotions. As her tears fell, her powers again started to act up. She sat there with her wounded arms wrapped around herself, not even registering that Lin was trying to comfort her.

"I'm sorry." He whispered again once Mai had cried herself to sleep. He did know one thing. Either by birth or adoption, he and Mai would raise a boy as their own. He'd be named Hayate Lin and he'd be a living honor to the spirit that helped Lin save his future bride. Lin continued to hold the sleeping girl, petting her hair whenever she showed any signs of discomfort.

Eventually, those pain-filled eyes opened. She looked at him, her eyes still full of tears. "W-Why does everyone leave?" She whispered. "Am I just cursed?"

Lin sighed. Her parents had left, dying. SPR had abandoned her. She'd likely lost friends in the fire at her apartment building. The people that helped her before didn't help her stay out of that abusive orphanage. Now Hayate.

"I don't know." He sighed. He hated those tears, hated that he couldn't do anything to stop them or ease her pain. He knew that she needed to grieve, though. She needed to grieve or she'd never really recover from the loss.


	8. Time to talk

**Time to talk**

Lysander pulled Lin aside suddenly. Mai tried to stop it, tired again after training and wanting to nap with him. Lin had to obey the angel, though, so he merely kissed her on the forehead and promised to return as soon as possible. Mai then snapped at Lysander, swearing to go straight to his mate if anything happened to Lin. Lin's shiki informed him that she was actually afraid and reluctant to rest without him near because she was still weak.

"I promised her that I'd never leave her." Lin stated. "She may not remember it but I'd prefer to break that vow as little as possible."

Lysander smirked. "There are things you need to know." He stated. His face went back to serious as he leaning against the wall. "She is heavily scarred. She's been left alone far too much. As a child, she raised herself. As a young adult, she taught herself. She trained herself to wield her powers. No one helped her. Because of that, she's obsessed with helping others. She lives through them that way, pretends that she's them and wasn't alone when she was lost and confused." He stated. "She was abused in a way that I hadn't thought humanly possible until I looked into her past. She was drugged so that her powers wouldn't work."

"I know that. And Hayate also told me that she's not sure if she'll be able to bear children." Lin stated. "That's also a challenge we must face, once she's older and wants a child."

"Much like her other injured organs, her reproductive ones are powered by her abilities. So, yes, she'll likely be able to give you a child. I advise the child be born in the heavens, though, or somewhere else capable of bearing her power." He then smirked slightly. "And you've already decided on your first son's name. He'd like that."

Lin nodded, though unsure how the hell these beings seemed to always be able to get into his head. Or were they able to see the future? He kept his musings to himself. "Is there anything else I should know?" He asked. He then grimaced inwardly. "Should I be worried that Mai seemed unwilling to admit that your wife would like to meet me?"

"Banika is… picky. Such is expected of a woman who is half harpy. And she won't exactly be subtle when asking of subjects such as… nightly escapades. Now that you and Mai are bonded-"

Lin's expression made something rather obvious.

"You haven't explained fully." Lysander stated.

"I don't want to push her. Or scare her." Lin sighed. "My father was apparently far too quick with explaining to my mother. I don't want to make the same mistake. And our age difference is a big deal to humans. When I was old enough to train with my father and grandfather, she was just being born."

"Do be careful with that, onmyoji. If she learns of the bond before you tell her yourself, she may get the wrong idea. The girl often thinks herself useless. With how often she is abandoned and forgotten by society, it's not too much of a stretch for her to think that no one wants her, even her own mate."

Lin sighed. "I'm starting to wonder if she really is cursed."

"Would you prefer that a spoiled child who grew up pampered becomes so powerful?" Lysander shrugged. He put up his hands when he saw Lin's anger at the statement and the implications of it. "It is not our place to question the workings of fate. Now go to your mate. I've stolen you long enough."

Lin went straight back to Mai. She was asleep again, but woke up and smiled at him. When he sat down, she sat up and cupped his face. "What's got you so angry?" She asked. "I didn't think it was possible to piss you off."

Lin sighed, cupping her face and gazing into her concerned eyes. When he felt something on his lips, he knew that it was her lips. By the way he was holding her, he knew that he was the one to kiss her, not the other way around. Carefully, he pressed her into the bed, still kissing her.

"Don't worry about me." Lin told her. He smiled at her dazed expression, kissing her softly again. Then he sighed, dropping his head to her neck. "There are… other things that I need to tell you. Other things about our bonds. I didn't tell you before because I didn't want to scare you. I'm so much older than you and, at the moment, you were so hurt. I thought you were going to run for the hills when I tried to bandage your legs the first time."

"Gene beat you to the 'sex' talk, actually." Mai smirked. "Honestly, Lin. Just because I've never willingly done anything doesn't mean I'm going to hide in a cave from it. Do you really think I'm that skittish?"

Lin's shiki confirmed that she wasn't scared… just so nervous that it could easily be mistaken for fear.

"Once we join for the first time, it's like any other paranormal creature. You'll smell like me. Others will be able to tell that you're taken. But… there's also a power boost. The weaker of the pair gains power so the couple are more equal. But, I know that's me. That's why I didn't want to tell you. When we get to that point in our relationship, I don't want you to ever think that I want it because I get more power. My father made that mistake. He explained to quickly and, when they did finally consummate their vows, mother got it in her head that she wasn't needed by him anymore." Lin sighed. He was ranting by the end, desperate for her to understand. "I was old enough for that, being from his past relationship. I was old enough to understand."

Mai sighed and then suddenly flipped them so he was on bottom, her straddling his hip. Then she relaxed, lying down on top of him. "If you suddenly get the power to match mine, then you'll still need me. My power is… different from other psychics. I'll be the only one who can help you."

Lin sighed, holding her hips again before one hand held her back and the other pet her hair. "The act of making love will bind our souls. You'll also gain the ability to command my shiki. Though, honestly, our bond is so strong already that they'll probably listen to whatever you say now. They've loved you from the beginning. Ever sense you started working for SPR and started to get your ESP dreams, they'd whine constantly until you opened your eyes. They were far from pleased the first time you felt death."

Mai chuckled. "Then they must hate the way I use my powers now. I help solves murders sometimes using psychometry."

Lin sighed. "No more of that without me, alright? I can help you pull out before you actually…" He couldn't even say the word. The mere thought of her dying brought back the sound of her screams and, worse, the sight of her crucified to the wall with a demon in front of her.

"Lin?" Mai called, worried. She sat up, grabbed his hand, and put it onto her chest just above her left breast. "Hay. Focus on the present. I'm fine, alright?"

Fine? Ha! If she was a normal human, her injuries just days before would still have her bedridden. Even still, she was still too injured to walk without support. Lin's eyes drifted over to the right, looking at the bandages that covered her shoulder, somewhat restricting the movement.

"Oh, why can't you be like a normal guy and be a pervert when you touch a boob?" Mai whined. "What, do I have to be naked to get a reaction out of you?"

Lin chuckled, sitting up. "It's not your responsibility to use your body to please me, Mai." He leaned down, kissing her neck. "And, no. I'm not the kind of man to get hot and bothered by feeling the heartbeat of my love. I'm not that weak." He slid his hand lower just barely an inch so his palm was full of breasts of the perfect size. "This, however, is what would be likely called a breast."

She was scarlet in the face but when she tried to look him in the eye, hers were determined. "I'm fairly certain that I know the human anatomy enough to know that. You just need a lesson in 'slang'."

Lin smirked, kissing her on the lips. "Perhaps I need to spend more time with a teenager." He mused. "Would you like to educate me, Mai?"

"I would, but a relationship between a teacher and a student would be highly inappropriate."

"I suppose you'll just have to deal with my limited vocabulary."

"Oh, you are never meeting the Skyhawk sisters." Mai chuckled. She then winced slightly when she shifted her hips and her wounds bothered her.

"Shh. Let me." Lin whispered. Using only his arms, he easily lifted her off his lap and set her sideways. "Just relax."

"I'm not that fragile…"

"My idiocy lost me three years of taking care of you. I intend to make up for lost time." Lin told her seriously.

"A 26-year-old fawning over a 16-year-old. Hmm. I wonder how long it would have taken for people to start calling you a sexual predator and start hiding their kids from you…?" Mai muttered.

"Let them talk. My family would understand completely, as would my entire community in Hong Kong. It wouldn't take much to explain the situation to the team, either."

"Back when Ayako was a paranoid mother, Monk was the closest thing I had to a father, and John was too innocent to understand the meaning of 'foreplay'?" Mai scoffed. "Lin, are you sure you didn't hit your head?"

Lin rolled his eyes.

 **In the next chapter, they'll be heading home. Lin's family will still be there. How do you think it should go? Mai will still be pretty hurt at that time. What about returning to school? Should Lin kick and scream that SPR is too dangerous for his newfound girlfriend? Review and let me know.**


	9. The Lin Family

**The Lin Family**

They got home by just appearing suddenly in the living room. That scared the hell out of all three of his elders, of course, but his apology was thrown aside as they all bolted forward, greeted him, and then greeted Mai. Mai, of course, blushed at the attention and suddenly wanted to hide behind Lin like a child. She stayed standing by his side, though.

"Mai, this is my father, Ryuu Lin, my grandfather, Go Lin, and my grandmother, Yan Lin." Lin introduced. "Do you remember them from when we defeated the demon?"

"Yeah. It's nice to meet you. I'm M-" She was suddenly grabbed.

Lin had grabbed onto Mai when he realized that she wanted to bow respectfully to his father and grandparents. His shiki were nearly screaming that she was causing herself pain. Easily, he pulled her into his arms, keeping her there. "My grandparents and parents have seen far stranger things than a human who can float. There's no need to bother your wounds." He stated. "Father, Grandmother, Grandfather, this is Mai Taniyama." He wanted to add 'my bonded' or something human-sounding like 'my girlfriend' but he wasn't even sure if she'd be alright with that.

"Yes, dear, and there's no need to bow anyway." His grandmother chuckled. "We've been waiting decades for this boy to finally find himself someone that'll make him take care of himself. Now we can honestly say it's a family tradition be weaker than your wife." She laughed openly as her husband huffed.

"Huh? I thought the pair became equal when, you know… um…" She couldn't say it, a blush dusting her cheeks.

"Oh no, dear. You and I are very much the same. Because of the large difference, things will never equal out. It'd be dangerous for the men. Though, I am surprised Koujo gathered the courage to explain that part to you. The only one that did that was Ryuu here, and…" She stopped to giggle.

"Yes, mother." Lin's father sighed with annoyance.

"Actually, Gene, Noll's late twin brother, explained that part to her." Lin stated. "I'll have to thank him later."

"How'd he find out?" Lin's father asked, confused. "I doubt you told him in passing."

"No. I didn't tell him." Lin stated.

"Who knows how that guy finds out half of the stuff he knows these days?" Mai shrugged. "He's the smarter brother but he's not a narcissist at all. Go figure."

"In any case, dear, how are your wounds healing up?" Lin's grandmother asked. "They were rather serious before. A normal human would be bedridden still."

"I'm not exactly normal. I'd probably be walking around even without the healing water if I had to." Mai chuckled.

"No, I'd be carrying you a lot more." Lin stated as he carried her into the bedroom. "Excuse us."

Mai still wore a simple sundress with a low button-slit in the back because of her wounds. Bandages still covered the wounds which would likely scar. The bandages were removed and Lin's grandmother quickly summoned the shiki she'd been given by her husband upon their bonding. Mai was obviously uncomfortable, but she didn't complain.

"Yes, no bowing for you." The elderly healer stated before moving to observe her shoulders and hands. "But the healing in the heavens has sped the healing by at least a few weeks, perhaps a month. It'll still be rather painful, though. I'd prefer you stay with Koujo while you heal. It'll stop the boy from worrying himself sick."

Lin grinned happily and then tried to look casual when Mai glanced over to him. Mai rolled her eyes. "Why do I get the feeling that I'm going to be outvoted?"

"It's either that or I stay the nights with you at that temple." Lin decided to give her the option. He'd get on his hands and knees and beg if he had to. He wasn't sure what he would do if she insisted on going off on her own while so injured. Yes, she was just fine while floating, but what about sitting down or lying down? What about putting a blanket around herself?

"Never would have pegged you for a puppy-eye guy." Mai smirked. She glanced over to the man's grandmother. "Do you think I could get him to roll over and shake?" When the woman didn't understand right away, Mai tried to repeat in Chinese. Her accent was slightly off, but otherwise she was fluent.

Lin huffed, having been hoping that his grandmother's poor Japanese had saved him from being laughed at. "Sense when do you know Chinese?"

"I've always been fluent. Mom was a lawyer that loved to travel. She was also a huge flirt, so it was either be scarred for life or go wander around." Mai shrugged. "I knew Chinese, Russian, Vietnamese, Korean, and English before I even got into grade school." She laughed as they both started at her. "What? You pick things up when no one around knows your language."

"How many languages do you know now?" Lin's grandmother asked.

"Hmm… dunno. Never really found anymore. I can always summon a spirit and bond with it to gain the ability to read, write, or speak an ancient language. As far as ones spoken these days, I learned Spanish, Italian, and French in high school. All they're offering for my year is Chinese and Korean, though."

"Eight languages." Lin sighed. "You know, I can name off ten agencies that'd fight over you like rabid dogs." Because the physical was over, he rewound her bandages and pulled her into his arms carefully.

"I tried applying when SPR went under, but no one wanted to hire an orphan." Mai shrugged. "Then the one place that did consider me as a translator turned me down because I couldn't come up with any professional references aside for teachers, one of which didn't even remember my name when they called him."

"Well, that's their loss." Lin huffed. "Now, let's go converse with my father and grandfather. Those two shouldn't be left alone for long."

Mai floated out of the room and nearly got pegged in the face with an energy ball. The laughter cut off at that moment, replaced by two horrified scream-shouts. Mai rolled her eyes, the two orbs stopping an inch from her face. "No offense, but I'm a bit stronger. Do you have any idea how often I get surprise-attacked by dead onmyoji?"

Lin, however, was very far from amused. His father and grandfather bowed in apology. All nine of his shiki wound around her possessively.

Lin's family went home back to China soon after dinner was done. Mai was allowed to cook after she turned the puppy eyes on Lin and promised that she wouldn't touch a thing. She cooked Japanese curry, sending Lin out shopping alone so she could actually get to know his father and grandparents without Mr. Protective glaring at the two men for their slip-up earlier.

"To get here, they had a contact with the ability to teleport. That was an emergency. To get back, they'll fly." Lin explained when Mai asked as an afterthought as he cleaned up the dishes. "Our clan is very well-off. We're considered nobles of our region. We're one of the oldest clans of onmyoji still remaining with the same line as the leaders." He went on to explain that. "My clan is rather large, but my direct family are the ones who run it. The family tree gets rather complicated past that as daughters and sisters belong to other families but are still connected to ours."

"Sounds like a headache." Mai pointed out bluntly. "Are there any parts of it I should memorize?"

"No. Not now. I have no sisters or aunts." Lin stated. "No brothers, either. My step-mother was unable to produce an heir before she passed away. As she was my father's destined one, he did not remarry." Then he remembered the she knew about ritual suicide, their family's custom when the death of a bonded happens. "And he did not commit ritual suicide because she came back as a spirit and made him swear that he'd live as long as possible before joining her."

"Has she come back sense then?" Mai asked carefully.

"Only to father in his dreams, much like Gene came to you in yours just… for a different reason." He blushed slightly, his ears turning pink.

"Hmm… maybe I should start invading your dreams and make it a family tradition."

Lin groaned softly, gripping the counter. He knew exactly what his parents did every night. Though Mai didn't know that, hearing her offer to copy that activity awakened a certain limb that suddenly felt like it'd either snap in half or break his zipper.

"Lin?!" Mai called, flying over to him. Pure fear and worry filled her eyes. "What's wrong?"

Lin cursed at himself, ignoring his throbbing member, turning away from the drying dishes, and wrapping his arms around her. "It's nothing. Come. Let's get ready for bed. I think we could both use an actual shower." They'd been taking baths in the angel's cloud. Lin, for one, seriously missed the feeling of actually _washing_ the dirt down the drain.

 **And now the rating will go up. How soon should they actually do anything? How paranoid should Lin be about her being hurt? Should I have Lin's family pop up again? Trip to China? Never thought I'd be writing about Lin's family. Ideas?**


	10. Shower time

**Shower time**

Lin realized about halfway to the shower just how hard the next hour was going to be. He knew that he wanted to help her in the shower. Though he knew she'd likely be able to do it alright with her powers, he didn't like the idea of a stream of water attacking her wounds. Honestly, he didn't like the idea of her doing anything for herself ever, much less while she was injured. He would have never let her cook if not for those doe eyes.

He undressed her carefully and then undressed himself once the water was already a nice temperature. She was blushing down to her toes, though. His shiki also decided that he needed to know that she had snuck a glance at his length, likely the reason behind her blush. She was also nervous, though that was only an emotion in the back of her mind.

"Mai." He called once everything was ready. "I need you to trust me. I won't make you do anything you're not ready for." He'd already carefully applied tape to the exit points of her wounds so soap wouldn't get inside them.

Lin carefully stayed in the line of the water, cupping water onto her shoulders before letting her into the stream with it hitting at her back. She jumped and then moaned in pleasure, her eyes closed. She moved her own body, wincing as the spray hit tender flesh but continuing to wash. Apparently, she'd missed showers as much as he had.

Lin finally lost control. He had to touch her. To give himself the excuse, he grabbed the soap and started to gently lather her arms and neck.

"Eventually, I'm going to be healed and you're going to have to let me return the favor." Mai hummed out.

Lin smiled down at her.

Then there was a sound that made her jump out of her skin. She looked around only to see the foggy shower door and become claustrophobic. Lin pressed his back to the shower wall and held onto her as her tensed body bothered her wounds. "Mai. Look at me. Just look at me." He commanded softly. "Look only at me."

Mai yet again apologized before sinking into his embrace.

"Don't be sorry." Lin told her softly as he slowly went back to washing her.

It was harder because she never detached from him, which he didn't really mind until he washed her hair. The look of pleasure she got on her face awakened a certain limb. Because the height that she was floating to give him better access… his member bumped her thigh right next to her core.

"Hmm?" She mumbled, glancing at him. She then blushed and giggled at the member he tried to turn to hide. "Well, maybe you are a normal guy after all. Oh come on, do you think I've never seen a naked man before?"

Lin sighed. Carefully, he turned back to her and then continued to wash her. "I just don't want to push you."

"If you 'not push' me my any more you'll be pulling." Mai retorted. She sighed, levitating until they were face to face. "Lin, I know I've got scars. I know I've got triggers that you've seen get set off. But I'm not afraid of you. You're not going to scare me off."

"Mai, I-" He stopped himself, sighing. "I know. I'm sorry. The last thing I want to do is carry you at arm's length. I know you're 19 now. You're not a child. But that doesn't mean I want to ever wave an erection in your face and make you think it's your responsibility to take care of it just because we're bonded."

"So, that groan from earlier when I mentioned invading your dreams?"

Lin bit back a groan as his imagination worked on the idea being brought up again. "What exactly do you think they do in those dreams?"

"Oh, I had an idea." Mai smirked. She pecked him on the lips.

Lin snapped and grabbed her, pulling her in for a proper kiss. She responded, winding her arms around his neck and adding pressure. Their bodies pressed together, his member between her legs a couple inches from her core.

Then the kiss became more as Lin added a tongue. She didn't resist in the slightest, though she wrestled with his tongue in her own mouth and didn't cross into his. She did, however, rub her legs together. Lin nearly bashed his head against the wall of the shower when he threw his head back. His shiki were silent, for once, and didn't warn him that she was moving away and was going to wrap her little injured hands around his member and repeat the sensation.

"M-Mai, you're hurt…" He tried to complain, not at all sounding stern or even convinced of his own opinion. "O-Oh..."

"What do you want, Lin?" Mai asked innocently. She completely ignored the pain in her hand and shoulder. This was more important. She wanted to do this. She didn't want him to take care of this himself, or worse, take a cold shower to make it go away.

"Nnngh…" Was all he could get out as he started to rock to make the motions come faster. His hands snaked up her arms and then to her torso, rubbing her hips, ribs, and then chest. His pants came quicker eventually, causing Mai to smile and start to kiss his chest, neck and mouth.

"Lin…"

"Koujo." Lin gasped out. He kissed down her neck and then found her breast. They were average, a C-cup tops. They fit into his hands perfectly. He smiled as she gasped, her hand motions faltering slightly. "Call me my name. Koujo." His lips came down on one of for nipples. He didn't mind the slight taste of soap, especially when she nearly screamed and arched into him. His shiki reported that she wasn't scared at all, no past memories in her mind of bad experiences.

"K-Kou… Kou…" She couldn't say it, not because it was new but because she'd never felt something like this. She'd read about it, yes, and heard people talking about it. This was different. This was real. Eventually, she remembered that she'd started a job. Her hands found his member. "Koujo." She finally said the name, still gasping for every breath. She felt heat in between her legs that she'd only read about in books, recognizing it from that. She rubbed her legs together in an effort to calm the heat, trying to focus on the feeling she was being given and the task she was _trying_ to complete.

Lin smirked when she continued to stroke him. He came to the solid decision that he wouldn't take her until she was at least healed enough to walk. However, because it'd already come this far, he decided to have a little contest with her. If she wanted him to feel pleasure, then he wanted her to become fulfilled first.

After moving to the other nipple, he slowly got back to work massaging her torso. This time, his hands were moving downward. He'd already brought a knee up that she was sitting on, which was giving the added bonus of keeping her steady.

"I've got you." He whispered as his hands finally found her curls. His lips moved to her mouth again, kissing her softly. "Just relax. I've got you. I'm not letting you fall."

"K-Koujo… please." She begged with a gasp, her eyes open and looking at him. She wanted something, though she didn't really know what.

"I know." He whispered. "Later, though. Once you're healed. For now, let me show you pleasure."

"But… but you've been taking care of me all this time…." She whispered breathlessly. Then she let out a long moan as his fingers dipped past her folds. He started to stroke the inside, finding her cavern and then the nub that led her to again forget about her task and cling to him as if she'd fall otherwise. Lin started to stroke that bundle, slowly at first to get her used to being touched.

"I've got you." Lin told her again, kissing her softly. Slowly, he sank just his pinky into her hole. He was a large man compared to her, after all. His pointer finger was the size of her thin little thumb. "No, don't hold it in. I want to hear it." He whispered when he realized that she was trying to stay quieter. "I want to her you."

In a last attempt, though, she tried to kiss him. Lin smirked into the kiss when she moaned loudly, starting to rock her hips against his fingers.

Finally, he gave her some mercy. He carefully grabbed onto her hand, wound it around his still-unfulfilled member, and started to stroke. "Come with me." He whispered. "Mai. Together?"

She couldn't say anything, really, but she managed to nod a 'yes'. Lin did the work for the both of them and, all too soon, he felt himself coming undone. He had to kneel down, worried that he wouldn't be able to support himself. "Mai. Gods, Mai. I'm so close. Come with me." He nearly begged.

"K-K-Koujo…Koujo…" She started to chant. Her entire body started to tense. Just as her inner walls would, her hand also started to squeeze him tighter.

"Yes, just like that." He breathed.

He stilled his finger as she started to spasm, merely stroking her clit to bring her more pleasure. Soon after she started, he also came. Careful of her wounds, he held them together there on the ground with the warm shower spraying on them, both recovering from their first orgasm together.

"Koujo?" Mai called once she was able to speak.

Lin glanced down at her, glad that she was remembering to call him by his proper name. A last-name basis was for colleagues. They were more than that. They'd been more than that for a few days, but he'd forgotten until in the throes of passion and hearing her call his family name. "Yes?"

"So… I'm not a china doll?"

Lin chuckled, petting her hair. "No, that would be Miss Hara." He stated with a smirk. He grinned wider as she giggled. "You are Mai." He told her. "Someday, you will be Mai Lin. Do you see why it would be odd for you to keep calling me by my surname?"

Mai giggled, leaning against his chest. "Your heart is still pounding." She observed.

"Same with yours."

They eventually finished their shower. Or, rather, they rinsed off and retired to bed. Both were still recovering from their experience, though. Mai was rather enjoying the sound of his heart pounding like he'd just ran a marathon, mostly because it was something that she'd helped make happen.

"Koujo?" Mai called quietly, finally taking her ear away from his chest and looking up at him.

"Hmm?" He responded. On a reflex, though, he pulled her back against his body, wanting to be as close as possible. His instincts were screaming that, so soon after an orgasm, she'd be weaker to attack. She didn't seem to mind.

"Do you have to go back to SPR tomorrow?" She asked, trying to sound just curious.

Lin's shiki reported, though he already knew, that she didn't want to ever stop the routine they had found. Sadly, that wasn't an option, nor was it something she'd want later on. She wasn't the type to enjoy staying inside constantly and, at some point, pleasure from him wouldn't be enough to distract her from that.

"I don't know. Most likely." He didn't want to, either. In fact, the idea of being away from her made him slightly panic. At the same time, though, he didn't want to take her to the SPR office. John, maybe, was guiltless. The others, however, had all abandoned her when she needed them most. Lin could distinctly remember three separate occasions when Ayako and Monk swore to always be Mai's family.

It was all lies.

"Hay." Mai called, crawling up his body so she was looking at him again but having the physical contact he wanted. "Be nice, alright?" Then she sighed, seeing the anger in his mind. "At least try, alright? Please?"

Lin sighed. Those eyes should be illegal. "I'll try." He couldn't make any promises.

Mai smiled, lying back down. Soon after Lin pulled the covers over them, she was asleep and he was joining her.


	11. To the office

**Yep, been forever sense I last published anything. Not even going to make an excuse this time. Life comes first. But I'm back now so here you go.**

 **To the office**

Mai was good at fighting her instinct to use her powers in public. So, when the sky decided to have a flash-flood from above, she didn't use her powers to stop the splash that an oncoming car created. They were in a busy street, Lin insisting on carrying her because of her wounds. Several near the curb were absolutely soaked because their umbrellas did nothing for the sideways attack.

Lin attempted to turn, which made it so only Mai's head and shoulders were soaked but also make her kick someone beside her.

"Sorry!" She called because Lin didn't seem to care.

"O-Oh dear." The woman who had been foot-smacked in the shoulder just chuckled. She was mostly dry. "Don't worry. I hope you're heading somewhere that you can dry off, though."

"Not really, but there will be tea if my boyfriend lets me down long enough to make it." Mai stated.

The woman didn't seem to think anything wrong with Lin being her boyfriend, apparently. She probably thought Mai was older than she was or Lin was younger. She just laughed, nodding. "Got yourself a good one. Oh, I wish my husband would carry me every once in a while. Or just change a diaper, for that matter." She laughed, walking on ahead with a wave as Lin started to walk up the stairs to the SPR office.

"I doubt anyone would have noticed if you had stayed dry somehow." Lin pointed out as he carefully sat her down.

"Yeah, well, a little water never hurt anyone." Mai chuckled. She then shuddered slightly as she sensed Naru's 'not happy' aura as he stared at them from the doorway to his office.

"A phone call from someone _other_ than your parents would have been nice. They also decided to inform my parents that you weren't here." Naru bit out. "What the hell have you been doing for four days?"

"Mai!" Yasu cheered. He then frowned as Lin grabbed him by his collar to keep him from hugging the girl. "You're not hurt, are you? What the heck happened, anyway?"

"MAI!" Monk and Ayako both screamed, the rest of the team bursting through the door. They'd apparently been working on the cameras, a job that Lin would usually have finished within the night.

"What the heck happened?" Yasu asked again. "And how are you hurt? Ayako would have known if you went to the hospital."

"A demon slipped through before the barrier was put up, slipped into a spirits body, and hid." Mai stated. "Kinda figured things would get messy once I took down the barrier, anyway. There was way too much pressure on the other side to be random minions."

"Which is why you wanted us out of the way." Yasu sighed.

"Apparently, someone didn't get the memo." Mai sighed, rolling her eyes. "But, hay, I came out alive, the portal got sealed, and the incinerator can now be mistaken for a freaking shrine. Sorry, John, but you didn't get to meet an angel."

John looked like he would faint.

"Got a nice little vacation in the sky and full reign over his healing water. That stuff is like holy water on demon bites, except for everything. And contrary to what Lin has himself convinced I _can_ walk now." She huffed slightly in Lin's direction.

"Without causing yourself pain or using your powers?" Lin asked as he walked in with tea.

"What happened to her?" Naru questions.

"Apparently, the demon saw the Jesus-cross and had a sense of humor." Mai shrugged, trying to play it down.

"She was crucified to the wall by her hands, shoulders, and thighs." Lin stated.

Ayako insisted on seeing the wounds, which Lin was fine with at first. Another opinion on the wounds. That is, until Ayako started to hurt Mai by poking and prodding the wounds as if testing to see if Mai could feel pain. She then disinfected the wounds with alcohol before rewrapping them.

The second Ayako brought up a hospital, though, Mai had enough. She flew straight from that room and into the oversized-closet that Lin was in checking the equipment. Not caring that the door clicked behind her and that the walls were closing in, she curled up next to her protector and closed her eyes.

"No hospitals." She stated sternly.

"Mai…" John sighed.

John and Masako were in there too. Monk was busy trying to calm down Ayako, who was upset because Mai was so seriously wounded.

"John." Masako called sternly. "If anyone tried to make me go to a hospital for anything but to support a friend, I'd break some bones. There are countless spirits and earth-bound imprints of pain in any hospital. And Mai is not a medium – she's a magnet."

"Masako, you're my new best friend." Mai stated.

Lin sighed. Carefully, he grabbed the blanket he'd brought back here just in case she came for him. He wrapped it around her and laid her down. "Dream of turning the angel pink again."

Mai giggled softly and eventually did fall asleep. She slept on her side, curled up like a cat. Lin's shiki literally purred in pleasure, thrilled that she'd gone to him (them, by extension) rather than heading out on her own as she would have a month prior.

"Alright, that's just adorable." Monk called suddenly. "Even you've gotta agree, Naru."

Naru huffed. "She's shown us she is alive. Why is she still here?"

"She stays with me." Lin stated.

"She's not a stray cat that you can take in, Lin." Naru stated.

Lin looked the younger man in the eye. "Watch me."

The temperature in the room dropped as the pair battled with their eyes. Lin only looked away at the end because his shiki informed him that Mai had woken up, disturbed by the aura.

"Mai. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't recall my office becoming your bedroom." Naru bit out, switching to glaring at the girl.

Mai was completely unaffected by the glare. She floated to get off the ground and then to get into a standing position, never touching the ground but being just half an inch from it. She was about to apologize when she noticed him staring with shocked eyes at her. "What?" She asked. She glanced down to her legs and then shoulders. "Did by bandages come lose?"

"No." Lin stated. He stood, scooping her into his arms where she belonged. "A scar is showing through because your dress is still wet enough to be a little transparent."

"Scar?" Masako asked, confused. "We've dressed in the same room, Mai. You don't have any scars."

"That was three years ago. Things have changed." Mai shrugged. "Which one is showing?"

"A the beginning of a slash going across your chest." Lin stated.

"Ah. Yeah, that's usually the first one to pop through a white shirt. That was friendly fire, actually. Banika tried to kill me because I upset Lysander." Mai shrugged. She chucked as the others gawked at that. "The slash scar was the only one not to heal."

"But she's your friend now?" Masako asked. "Was she at least sorry?"

"No." Mai answered easily. "She's half harpy, Masako. Piss one off and you're dead. Upset one's mate and you'll be her new chew toy for the rest of eternity."

"Harpy? Seriously? What, do all myths actually exist somewhere?" Monk asked. He didn't doubt her, though. Hell, just days before, he'd been working right next to a doorway to the pits of hell.

"Yeah, pretty much. Unicorns are pretty damn near extinct, though." Mai stated. "And they're pretty quick to attack humans."

"Another lesson learned the hard way?" John sighed.

"Yep. No scars, though. Wounds inflicted by a unicorn or any other fortune-bringing creature on an innocent person heals automatically. Still hurt, though. The little brat went straight for my neck." She rubbed her throat at the memory.

"Geez. I wanna meet the cool things. Just without getting hurt." Monk huffed slightly. He walked over, kneeling slightly to be level with her. "How about this o-"

Lin acted on reflex. No one touched Mai without permission. No one needed to touch her scars. He grabbed onto Monk's wandering fingers, holding them painfully. "Enough story time." If he dared point to a scar that led to a bad memory resurfacing, Lin wouldn't forgive him. "It's rude to poke."

"Jeez, Lin, lighten up. I'm supposed to be the Papa Bear around here." Monk complained, stepping away and rubbing his hand. When his phone rang, he groaned. "We'll catch up some other time, Mai. I've got practice to get to. Later."

Masako looked at the clock and sighted sadly. "John and I must go as well. We have reservations." She paused, glancing back at her. "No reaction that we're dating?" She asked. "Did Lin tell you?"

"No. I've been peeking in every once in a while. I got curious." Mai shrugged. "That spirit that pulled you away from getting pegged by a door – that was me. Good timing, huh?"

Masako smirked, walking away. "So I have a stalker. Did you stalk everyone or did you just think I was that helpless?"

"Well, you do kinda look like a china doll." Mai chirped. She giggled as she heard the loud 'humph'.

Naru huffed, tired of this. "Mai, stop distracting Lin from his work!" He scolded as he walked away.

"The only reason she's even awake right now is your bad attitude, Noll." Lin pointed out.

Naru slammed his door harder than necessary. Lin would have smirked in victory if the sudden noise didn't make Mai jump. She looked up at him with sad eyes. "Maybe I should stay at your place tomorrow."

"No." Lin stated, sitting back down with her in his lap. "Ignore Noll. He'll be far crankier if I don't show up for work." He smirked, kissing her softly. "And I don't want to leave you alone, so if you stay home, so will I."


End file.
